Of Cities And Southern Comfort
by Decepticon-Prime
Summary: She’s a girl, nursing a broken heart and a glass of Southern Comfort. He’s a stoic, love‘em and leave‘em guy whose never found what he’s looking for. Will she let him nurse her wounds, or can't she trust another man, even one so tempting as he?
1. In Which Hitomi Reflects

Summary: She's a teenage girl, nursing a broken heart and a glass of Southern Comfort. He's a stoic, love-'em-and-leave-'em kinda guy whose never found quite what he's looking for. So on one dark night in Gaea, will she let him nurse her wounds or will she refuse to trust another man, even one so tempting as he?

Disclaimer: First things first, this disclaimer applies to this chapter, and any following chapters in its entirety. I do not own, nor claim to own, The Vision Of Escaflowne or anything connected to it (characters, relationships, locations etc). However, I do claim ownership of any fictional characters I choose to create and include, the basic plot of this story and the visual description of the city of Gaea.

Of Cities And Southern Comfort

Chapter 1

_The young beauty, Hitomi Kanzaki, sits opposite her companion with a smile sprawling from ear to ear on her lips. It is a gorgeous Saturday morning and the sun's shining down on the little ice-cream parlour she currently occupies, a beaming smile across her face, giving her a radiant glow. _

_Her companion, a young man also of 19 years and a pleasant, if not average looking, appearance, had invited her to join him in the parlour just under half an hour ago. _

_He had given her sparse details, only that it was very important and that she must be there within the hour._

_Love-struck, Hitomi rushed from her house, dropping everything she had planned and made damn sure that she arrived at the parlour within minutes to hear his news. _

_She is almost 100 certain he was about to propose. They have, after all, been dating for a little more than 2 years and at just 19, that is an awfully long time to be with one person. She wiggles her ring finger under the table, imagining the feel of a heavy stone day and night, sitting there looking beautiful. _

_Her heart almost bursts with love for Mishime. He sits in front of her, on the other side of the bubblegum pink table, staring down at his folded hands, deep in thought. _

_Hitomi is too busy to notice his pained face. Her head is filled with images of their future together. They will not buy a house in Tokyo, but find somewhere together by the sea. A quaint little cottage covered in overgrown vines and a lawn stretching right out to the cliff-edge. _

_How many children will she want? Two or three perhaps; they will be beautiful. _

_Her attention is brought back to the present when Mishime draws something from his light cashmere sweater. Expectation and anticipation bubbles within her, here it comes; his proposal…the big question...she is just about ready to yell 'Yes!!' and burst into happy, joyous tears when, instead of presenting to her a ring, he offers her a pristinely-kept note, written on a pink slip of paper._

_She screws up her nose in wonder; does she smell Eau de Romance, a tacky, overpowering perfume emanating from the paper?_

_She has never bought him perfume like that, so where has he gotten it from? His mother? She, Hitomi knows, only ever wears an expensive scent from Russia. _

"_What's this?" She takes the paper between her forefinger and thumb gingerly, maybe there is a proposition written on the note and Mishime just didn't have the courage to ask her himself. Renewed hope swells in her chest and she peels the paper from its fold._

_Mishime doesn't say a word. He hasn't even looked at her. She feels a little downhearted, to be honest. This is not the proposal she had expected. She had expected him down on one knee, rose between teeth and fireworks exploding in the background. _

_Peeling the paper out flat, she realises there is a short but carefully written note on it. In handwriting she doesn't recognise. _

_Her emerald eyes scan the beginning with some scrutiny._

"_**My darling sweetheart. **_

_**I count down the minutes until we are together again, and I can only hope that you hold as much enthusiasm for our meetings as I do. What, I hear you asking, am I doing writing you a letter? Well, my love, I have a proposition. Daddy has just evicted a tenant at his apartment complex just for us, Mishime! Can you believe it? He says if you are willing, we can move in as a couple. Our first place together, it will be perfect. Please do not waste your life on your current interest. You and I both know she can't give you what I have to offer. **_

_**So please, my most adored darling, give it a little thought and get back to me sometime soon. We will have a spectacular future together. I will see you tomorrow night as usual**_

_**Can't wait**_

_**Tsumatsi xxx**_

_**P.S. I hope you recognise the smell of this letter. It is what I was wearing the night we met all those months ago"**_

_For the moment, Hitomi is numb. Her mind struggles to overcome the cotton wool of the letter that is filling her head. _

_Images of Tsumatsi bombard her mind and she feels sick._

_Is this girl thinner? Prettier? Bustier than Hitomi? Just plain better!?!_

_She has a terrible taste in her throat and her tongue feels dry against the roof of her mouth. _

"_Mishime...Who's Tsumatsi?...Is this a prank?"_

_Mishime finally meets her eyes and she regrets him ever doing so. There is no love, no admiration for her. His once lively blue eyes are dead to her and she feels a sob well in her chest. _

"_It's no prank, Hitomi. I met Tsumatsi a few months ago; when I told you I was staying with a friend of mine."_

_Hitomi blanches. So all the time that he had said he was with Kotami, he was really seeing some...cheap floozy! _

_She can't breath, can't speak, can't live without Mishime but oh god, the shame and disappointment hurts her heart a whole lot more._

_Scrunching up the paper into a ball, she tosses it back across the table, he scrabbles to catch it._

"_Why are you showing me this?" Her voice breaks a little._

"_I thought it was only fair to let you know."_

_She laughs then, trying to rise above the pain in her heart but it refuses to let her go._

"_You thought it was only fair? Oh right, and what do you know about fair? Did you consider how fair it was to go running off with some woman?"_

"_I haven't run off with her, Hitomi –"_

"_Yet."_

"_I'm still here with you, aren't I?"_

"_What makes you think I want you anymore? Have…have you…?" It hurts her too much to say out loud but Mishime knows what she is referring to. _

_Mishime's voice, when he replies, is frank and brutal. _

"_We haven't slept together yet. We want to though, soon."_

_Hitomi hisses in a breath through her teeth. A little bit more of her heart breaks away. _

"_And you love her?" For some insane reason, she fears the answer to this question more than the last. Perhaps it has something to do with her stupid, stupid emotions that do not quite want to pull away from Mishime. _

"_Yes. I do love her. A lot."_

_Hitomi chokes out a sob and clenches her hand beneath the table. Alright. Enough is enough; she has let this carry on too far already._

"_Thank you for telling me this now, before I became too deluded in you that I couldn't back out. But now I'm still independent enough that I can leave you, and I'm going to. It's over."_

_She sounds reasonable, amiable, logical as usual. But Hitomi is tired of being the reasonable one; she is tired of being well-behaved and understanding and she has about three seconds to leave the parlour before she breaks down entirely. _

_Easing her chair back, she strides from the cafe with the air of a girl who has been liberated from deception in the same instance that her heart has shattered into oblivion._

Hitomi Kanzaki slumps forward over the cool surface of the table, depressed.

She lays her cheek on the frigid steel of the tabletop and squeezes back a thousand tears that threaten to spill.

The incident had been little under a week ago and she is still burning with the hurt. It gnaws on her life; every little thing she does, says or thinks brings a painful memory of her time with Mishime. She is suddenly reminded of his little quirks and sayings and it tugs at her heart like a ton-weight.

Her best friends, Amano and Yukari, have been of little help. She appreciates their efforts but at the end of the day, she just wants solitude and privacy to mourn and grieve and cry out her anguish.

The fact that they are love-struck themselves doesn't help. Yukari wants to turn to Hitomi for tips on dating and how to impress Amano and Hitomi breaks out in flurries of emotion. Yukari hadn't known how to react in the end and had sent Hitomi off for a few days of crazy shopping sprees and beauty treatments in the large city of Gaea on her own.

She has only just arrived, having checked herself in at the local hotel and loaded off her luggage there, and had decided a good strong drink would help solve her lonely issues.

She feels the hot pressure of tears at the corners of her eyes again and she inhales deeply, loosening the constriction around her lungs.

Lifting her head just in time to see a barmaid wandering over, she feels relieved for the brief company.

"What'll it be, Darling?"

Hitomi rests her chin on a fist, managing a thin smile

"Just a SoCo please-"

The bar maid makes a note of the Southern Comfort with a wink.

"You look like you need it, sweetheart."

"You could say that," She lets her golden-blonde hair fall over her eyes, suddenly wanting the woman to leave her alone now that the subject is bordering on her broken relationship.

"Heartbreak?" The maid has a sweet, sympathetic smile on her face. Hitomi feels the tears welling up in her throat again and she bites down into her bottom lip to stop it quivering. The barmaid seems to know this is her cue to leave

"Alright, darlin'. Your order'll be over in a sec."

Hitomi bows her head in shame when the barmaid disappears. Why can't she just forget the whole incident and act normal, like people usually did when suffering heartbreak? They wouldn't be sitting here right now, swearing off relationships forever and refusing to acknowledge the admiring glances sent their way.

Other people would get back up on their horse and start dating immediately, even if it resulted in a couple of meaningless one night stands and one or two short-lived encounters.

Why can't she just forget him and move on? Hopefully, a nice strong drink will numb her for a while, just until she finds another way to get through the next day.

Her order makes its way over to her moments later, the Southern Comfort sloshing around in the glass along with three or four cubes of ice.

It scorches the back of her throat from the first sip, warming her insides instantly.

Maybe she has enough money on her to get absolutely mind-wastingly drunk. That would solve her loneliness problem, at least until the morning.

She takes another sip and sinks down into the leather of the chair, until she feels no-one can see her.

Van Fanel is bored out of his skull. The whiskey is no longer taking noticeable effect and the blond broad beside him is droning on about herself in an endless buzz of self-compliments.

Though he has to admit, this is how every one of his 'relationships' had turned out so far this month. Not one of these busty, made-up females has kept his attention for longer than a night between the sheets before they begin to bore him and he moves on. He shouldn't even bother to call it dating anymore, it's just fucking, pure and simple, but at 19, he hasn't a care for what it's called, just so long as he's getting what he wants out of it.

He glances the broad over once again, wondering what had ever gotten him interested in the first place this evening.

She is hardly the prettiest girl he's ever come across with lips too big for her mouth and a nose too prominent for her chin, and a voice that is whiny and irritating, like a girl of 8 rather than 18.

Van knows he is just making excuses to ditch her before the night is through but he can't help it. This girl just isn't his type.

Few of the girls he has had have been. Gaea just isn't the right sort of city to find a girl with the defiant sort of attitude and spark to make it worth his while but that's the furthest thing from his mind tonight. Still; even if he is just 19 with the sort of reputation older guys respect him for, it would be a change of scene to find a girl he won't get bored of after a week. And it definitely isn't this one.

"And I said to myself, I said Keilo you gotta get out more. You can't dwell on the past, which includes Shinji. He was a brute. And ugly. And he drank too much,"

Van rests his chin on a fisted hand. This has to end any minute now.

"He was a pimp, you know. I didn't know it at the time but he was. He had about three of 'em. All of 'em ugly tramps. Told me when I broke up with him that the only reason he ever went out with me was to pimp me off."

Van doesn't respond. Instead he stares into his drink, hoping he seems drunk enough to be excused from falling asleep.

Her voice screeches in his ears again like an overgrown wasp.

"...I'm pretty, right? Tell me I'm pretty."

"You're pretty." His voice is emotionless and despondent.

"Pretty pretty or pretty _beautiful_?"

Van rolls his eyes, though she can't see the action. She is too busy checking out her reflection in the mirror over the bar.

He scans the room behind him using this mirror. With any luck he can find someone to sit with until Keilo gets the idea and wanders off, more effort than just telling her to get lost but he's in a generous mood tonight and it's the only way to get rid of her politely.

Ah ha, he spies one young woman, in the far corner of the room, looking very lonely.

Van doubts whether it would be such a good idea to approach her, not wanting to be burdened with an hour-long rendition of her problems. But his desperation to be rid of Keilo outweighs his worries of another troubled broad.

"Tell me I'm pretty again,"

Van looks back at Keilo again with his brow furrowed angrily; she is seriously getting on his nerves.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know you think of me as pretty."

"Fine, whatever. Excuse me, I see someone I need to talk to,"

Keilo loses her out-going attitude instantly, replacing it with a needy, desperate voice.

"Hey! Van, darling! Please come back!"

But he is gone, leaving Keilo and his drink at the bar.

He eases himself across the room silently, slipping through the chairs and tables with his eyes cast to the miserable young woman in curiosity.

Maybe she's been stood up by some guy and will be susceptible to a little harmless flirting.

She is pretty, without a doubt, easily considered beautiful which he knows would be emphasised if she just smiled.

Checking himself suddenly, he continues his approach, masking any kind of admiration for the girl with a dashing, disarming smile; baring a canine.

The first thing Hitomi notices about the newcomer is the smile. Maybe he's confused her with somebody he knows; and a little unreasonable part of her is disappointed.

She takes a sip of her drink before speaking

"Can I help you?"

Her voice surprises him, he'd expected something similar to just about every other girl in the city; all of them playing on the assumed school-girl fantasies of the lecherous businessmen. Hers, however, is natural; laid back and confident. It is a much-welcomed change to his ears.

Van flashes her another charming smile, slipping gently into the leather seat opposite her. She doesn't move, watching him with piercing green eyes.

"Actually, you can. See that girl over by the bar, the one watching us?"

Hitomi nods bluntly, maybe this man is drunk and thinks he can get an easy lay out of her (though some secret part of her assures itself that he is far too handsome to be that desperate) and she formulates a plan of humiliating rejection in her mind.

"I see her." The girl looks a lot like how she's imagined Tsumatsi would look like; Skin-tight shirt and hip-hugging mini skirt, peroxide-blond hair and inch thick make-up balanced on her plain features.

What is a man like this stranger doing with a cheap floozy like that?

Van smiles again, not quite sure how to phrase his reply.

"She thinks I know you, and we're talking about something important. I'd be grateful if you could humour the idea for now."

Hitomi narrows her eyes at him, her first impression of him building a rather sketchy profile.

"You want me to talk to you just so she thinks I know you?"

"Well…it sounds crazy if you say it like _that,_" Van knows he is quickly slipping from her zone of tolerance.

Hitomi turns back to her drink, blatantly unimpressed and her disappointment grows.

"Of course it sounds crazy."

Van peels off his black leather jacket and slings it around the back of the chair, not quite ready to leave.

"I don't know any other way to get rid of her. I've only been with her for an hour and I already know she's not my type. I have more class than that."

He expects a girlish giggle, or a flutter of eyelashes, but what he receives is nothing like these.

"And you're just going to desert her?" Hitomi's voice is a little crestfallen, a little hurt and a little angry. She doesn't like to see the same disrespect towards women in this man that Mishime had shown.

Van stares at her like she is half mad. Perhaps it is the fact that she's not reacting to his charms like women usually did, perhaps it is that he is simply not used to having his banter being deflected with such cold tones.

"Hey, I'm not deserting her. She probably won't even remember me in the morning. You can bet that she'll just find some other guy to take home and entertain."

His own tone is bordering on defensive and he has to hold back from being downright insulted. Does this woman have some sort of pre-impression that he isn't worth her time?

Hitomi lowers her gaze to her drink, muttering a simple "Hmm." and settling into silence.

Van huffs out his breath in one last ditch attempt to impress her.

"Alright, I've been a bit crude, haven't I? I appreciate that you've put up with me this far, to be honest." Hell, it is a long shot but surely even she isn't immune to such suave honesty. "Let me make it up to you, how does dinner sound?"

Hitomi can't contain the smile twitching the corners of her lips. She hides it in her glass.

"I don't think so, after all your date's just left with some man. You don't need me as an excuse anymore."

Van doesn't even turn around to look. He's too preoccupied with facing her.

"Alright, if you won't let me take you out to dinner, then at least let me get you a drink. That one's finished."

Hitomi is surprised to see that it is indeed. She hasn't noticed much other than what the stranger had to say.

"Fine. I'll have a Southern Comfort again, if you don't mind."

Once both drinks have arrived, Van is engaging Hitomi in what he hopes she understands as flirtatious banter. He was determined to get some sort of response back from her, if only to reassure himself that there's not anything wrong with him.

"So what brings a girl like you wandering through a city like Gaea?"

He watches her with a hawk-like gaze, russet brown drifting over her carefully, there is no doubt that she has sparked his interest; it sounds arrogant but finding a woman who doesn't respond to his advances the tiniest bit is unusual.

Hitomi smiles gently, a little painfully, and turns her gaze away from his inspection.

"This and that. Something came up at home and I had to get away by myself for a while,"

For Van, this almost automatically translates as 'heartbreak'. He's heard too many sob-stories from women in need of comforting to not recognise that nine times out of ten, 'this and that' means 'nasty break-up'.

"I understand. If you don't mind me asking, what did you break up over?"

Usually he wouldn't care about the details of a woman's problems; he would normally sit there, listening while she cried it all out, offering a comforting word here and there to show he was still awake, then make a move once she was over herself.

However, tonight (and perhaps the drink has gone directly to his head) he cares for the details, and wonders what sort of man could ever live with losing such a girl.

Hitomi, startled, looks back at him with wide eyes. How can he possibly know of her broken relationship when she hasn't mentioned a word of it?

"I…Uh…-" She considers lying; to tell this man that she and Mishime just weren't compatible but stops herself. Why should she hide the truth for Mishime? He doesn't deserve to be protected from others knowing. She could tell whoever the hell she wants!

"Mishime had an affair. I would never have found out if he hadn't shown me the letter she sent him. "

"Then thank god he had the guts to show you the letter, if nothing else. Aren't you glad you got away before you got too involved?"

He is leaning forwards, elbows propped up on the table, dangerously close to getting 'involved' himself. This isn't what Van Fanel does. Van Fanel would be playing it effortlessly cool, all actions and words teetering on flirting but keeping well out of the 'Desperate' borders, because if Van Fanel is anything, it is not desperate. He doesn't need to be.

But here Van Fanel is, delving into conversation.

And it is making Hitomi feel better. She feels liberated, oddly, and she holds her shoulders back, having a proper conversation for the first time since Mishime's betrayal.

"Of course I am, but…it still hurts, I suppose. As I'd expect it to." Realisation suddenly blooms in her green eyes. "I don't even know your name. You must think me rude not to have asked before, but I was so caught up in talking to you…"

Van dismisses her concern with a disarming smile and brushes his raven hair back from his eyes, catching the neon light of the bar making the black strands reflect blue. Feeling himself on firmer ground, his easy-going charm storms back.

"Hey, it's no bother," He thrusts out a hand for her to shake "I'm Van, Van Fanel."

Hitomi takes it gracefully, reflecting his confident smile with one of her own (Van's own smile almost slipped, witnessing his theory proved correct; that if she would only smile, she would positively radiate)

"I'm Hitomi Kanzaki."

"That's a lovely name" Van bares a canine tooth with a smooth grin. "_Hitomi" _

The way her name eases from his lips sends a shiver down her spine; it is primal, with a rough edge that sends butterflies erupting into her chest and she is momentarily stunned at the effect it had on her. Mishime had never spoken her name like that.

She pulls her hand back, wary at her reaction, and attempts a tiny smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Van"

Hearing his name formed on this strange Hitomi's lips sends a shiver down his own spine, and a foreign feeling buzzes into his diaphragm.

Van Fanel is not used to this, and he looks away quickly; hiding his surprise beneath a scan of the room and discarding the fluttering in his chest as a minor bout of disagreement with the alcohol.

Hitomi watches him appreciatively before downing her drink in one gulp and pushes her chair back, about to stand up.

"It's getting late, and I probably have an early start tomorrow. I should thank you; you've really made my night. Well…goodbye, Van"

She is about to stand when Van stops her, pinning her to her seat with a powerful gaze.

"Let me take you out for dinner sometime. Anytime. Or we could catch a movie somewhere?"

Hitomi's uplifted attitude plummets. Two words scream through her mind, flashing neon. Relationship. Heartbreak.

And it really is very soon after her break-up with Mishime. She can't deal with the hassle, not this quickly.

"Listen, Van. I came here to get away from that sort of thing. You know how it is, right?" Though Hitomi doubts he does know how it is, how could a man like Van know what it's like to be cast aside? "I could really do without the trouble."

Van watches her, confusion etched in his features. She really didn't want to see him again? She is happy to just walk away and forget about him?

He has to admit, it hurts more than he thought it would. He begins to feel the slightest sympathy for the girls he has seen for a night then deleted the numbers of.

"Oh. Right. Of course." He stands up, slinging his jacket around his shoulders. "Goodbye then."

Hitomi keeps her eyes on him, feeling a little mean. She hasn't been stringing him on all this time. She hasn't given him any delusions that he can expect any more of her than a night's conversation.

But still…it is a little cruel to just leave it at that.

"Hey, we can always go for just coffee? That's perfectly harmless."

Van kicks the chair back in with his foot, refusing to jump at the chance. Van Fanel does not jump through hoops for any woman.

"Maybe. I'll have to check when I'm free."

Hitomi looks downcast. She's blown it, she knows she has. She's offended this amazing stranger and now he's backed off entirely. Standing, she looks at anything but his face, avoiding the blush that threatens to colour her cheeks.

"Here. Take my number, and phone me if you can to arrange something. I would love to meet up with you again, Van, really I would. But I'm not looking for anything more serious than that at the moment."

She scribbles down the number of her hotel room on a scrap of paper she'd found in her pocket, and hands it over.

Van stares at it briefly, before shoving it into the faded back pocket of his jeans. He spares her a slight smile, once again looking every inch the charming gentleman.

"Of course."

Hitomi shuffles from one foot to the other, nibbling on her bottom lip, not entirely sure where to go from here.

Van saves the situation, drawing away from the table and offering the crook of his arm.

"Let me walk you to your car, it's dangerous for a girl to be out alone at this time of night."

There is humour in his twinkling eyes and Hitomi places her hand formally on his forearm, letting him lead the way.

Outside of the bar, the night air is harsh against her skin and Hitomi cannot suppress the shudder of cold from rushing through her. She crowds closer to Van; feeling the heat resonate from his body. he looks down at her, frowning a little.

"Cold?"

She nods her head, not saying a word, knowing her teeth would chatter if she loosened her jaw the tiniest bit.

Van's arm pulls away from her own and the body warmth is ripped cruelly from her, sending the shivers multiplying through her before a layer of heavy fabric is draped around her shoulders and they stop instantly.

Unscrewing her eyes against the breeze, Hitomi immediately notices the flapping sleeve of a thick leather jacket that is most certainly not hers.

She glances at Van, her eyes sparkling with question but his stone-expression reveals nothing; instead, he just replaces her hand on his arm and continues walking.

Now jacketless, Van waits while Hitomi fumbles in her trouser pocket for her set of car keys, and he whistles appreciatively when she guides him over to a classic Chevrolet, dazzling blue under neon lights.

He runs a hand over the bonnet admiringly while Hitomi pulls on the door

"This is a nice car, I must say."

Hitomi barely gives it a glance. "I suppose. It gets me around." She spares him a sparkling smile but it slips when he turns to her suddenly,

"Did you really mean it about meeting up for coffee? I don't want you to agree just because you felt you had to."

Hitomi casts her eyes to the ground, feeling another smile twitching the corners of her lips.

"I gave you my number, didn't I?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you did. Well then, I'll give you a ring sometime."

Hitomi nods and slips into the driving seat of her car; pulling the door closed and feeling Van's gaze on her face.

Without another word, Hitomi shifts the Chevy into gear and reverses; executing a u-turn and drives off into the night, Van's leather jacket still snug around her shoulders.

Van watches after her in a daze, he hasn't felt such fascination in a girl for a long time…Shaking himself from his thoughts, Van idles over to his own car and gets in, starting the ignition and u-turning backwards into the road.

Hitomi's number is still tucked safely in his back pocket and he feels a silly grin ease onto his lips.

The grin has not faded by the time he pulls into the driveway of his bachelor pad; the penthouse of an expensive, high-quality apartment building.

He had lived in a grand estate for the first 17 years of his life; with his family and without. All 6 floors had come together into one huge mansion-esque house that boasted the best views of Gaea in the rural areas of the city. The grand house was left to Varie when Gaou died, then to Van shortly after his brother walked out and his mother had faded away.

Now it sits nestled in the Gaean wilderness; gathering dust and rumours while Van lives elsewhere with Merle.

He has not so much abandoned the mansion as keeps it hidden away with the rest of his childhood memories; preferring the distractions of a penthouse flat to the seclusion of his old home. It still belongs in the family of course; Balgus, an old friend of his father's, lets himself in occasionally to keep out tramps and wildlife.

Up the elevator and along to his front door on the top floor, Van unlocks it and steps into the air-conditioned room, dropping his keys onto the table beside the plasma-screen TV and goes to peel off his jacket; only just realising he's not wearing it any longer.

His thoughts trace back to where he had put it down; the last time he remembers seeing it is laying it around Hitomi's shoulders.

A wanton shiver runs through him at the thought of his jacket around Hitomi; seeping in her body heat and her scent, hugging against her slim shoulders…

Van lets out a groan of frustration, what in Gaea is the matter with him tonight? There is no girl in the world that could change him so radically in a matter of hours.

Swiping a cold beer from the mini-bar in the front room, he calls out for his flat-mate and adopted sister.

"Merle? You home?" He receives no answer. Concern settles in his heart for the fourth night in a row. Merle has never acclimatised to city life; she is rough-and-tumble on the surface, but Van can see beneath her exterior. Beneath is a tender young girl who was raised in an orphanage in the country after the violent deaths of her parents then adopted by a caring couple but people who did not understand that she was not ready for change. The abruptness of her surroundings was damaging, she threw herself into the sorts of social circles Van dislikes; probably very nice people except for the various piercings and strange hair-colours.

It is the sort of social circle Van witnessed Folken getting involved in, the sort of people Folken would bring home at all hours.

A sneer of disgust finds itself rumbling from Van's throat and he takes a gulp of the alcohol.

Thinking about Folken always gives him the horrible urge to get drunk and forget about everything and Van always complies willingly.

Wandering towards the large leather couch, beer in hand, Van lies himself out along the cool material and feels behind him for the phone on the side-table.

He briefly wonders about Hitomi; about what she is doing now and whether she is thinking of him too, and he checks himself for the thousandth time that night in dismay. He is going soft because of this girl and he retrieves the scrap of paper from his back pocket quickly, dialling in the number before he decides otherwise.

Ring, ring.

Van bites into his bottom lip, nibbling at the skin.

Ring, ring.

He starts tapping his shoe against the arm rest at the other end of the couch, still waiting.

Ring, ring.

He picks up the beer bottle again and takes another pull, swallowing bitterly.

After half a dozen more rings, he is set to hang up the phone and forget all about the idea of meeting up when the answer phone kicks in.

"_Hey, you've reached Hitomi's voice mail. I'm not in right now, or I can't get to the phone so leave a message, your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for calling, talk to you soon."_

Even a recording of her voice causes another surge of foreign feeling in Van's chest, and with renewed determination, he clears his throat, formulating the message in his mind.

"Uh hi, Hitomi. It's Van, from the bar tonight, remember? Uh, I've been thinking about where you might like to meet up. There's this little coffee house just off the city centre, about half a mile north. You'll know which one I mean. I thought…well, if you want to meet up then I'll be there at about ten-thirty in the morning. I hope you decide to come." Bordering on getting 'emotional', Van takes a breath and exhales. "Goodnight, Hitomi."

Elsewhere, not far away in the large city, Hitomi shoves open the door to her hotel room and heaves a sigh of relief. Her shoulders droop with an unfamiliar weight and only then, after driving with it draped across her shoulders comfortingly, does she realise that she still has Van's jacket. She pulls it from her with both hands; holding it in front of her with curious eyes, imagining it around Van's lean frame. How long has Van had this jacket? Has he ever accidentally fallen asleep in it? Ever pulled a girl and brought her home, letting her slip the leather from his shoulders with a smirk? A flare of jealousy runs through her and she folds it over the back of the settee in a mild sulk.

Mulling around the small front room, undressing and packing away her belongings, Hitomi wanders past the table beside the musty couch; only to have her attention roused by a tiny, shrill beeping. She looks towards the old but reliable answering machine

Who in Gaea could be leaving messages at this time of night?

Flicking the various buttons, Hitomi winds up the volume and listens to the white noise of the tape before the message kicks in.

_"Uh hi, Hitomi. It's Van, from the bar tonight, remember?"_

Hitomi's drowsiness vanishes in a second and she sits down, watching the machine replay Van's voice.

"_Uh, I've been thinking about where you might like to meet up. There's this little coffee shop just off the city centre, about half a mile north. You'll know which one I mean. I thought…" _

She clamps down on her bottom lip to stop the girlish squeal from slipping out.

"W_ell, if you want to meet up then I'll be there at about ten-thirty in the morning. I hope you decide to come."_

She fails and an excited squeak vibrates in her throat. "_Goodnight, Hitomi."_

Her heart is thudding now; hand clamped over mouth, and she flops onto her back. She didn't actually think he'd call her, it is impossible that a man so charming, suave and handsome like Van would be interested in a dull, rebounding girl like Hitomi.

Stabbing at the 'Store' button to preserve Van's voice in the tiny machine, Hitomi picks up the receiver and dials in the phone number she is most familiar with.

Three rings and a tired voice answers at the other end.

"Hello?"

"Yukari…you'll never guess what…"

End of Chapter 1

Important Points:

Fate is a Liar has been deleted forever.

I hate to reveal some spoilers now but I'm afraid you might not like my rendition of Van so all I'll say is please stick with me, I have some changes in store for him.

I'm thinking of illustrating a couple scenes so if I do, I may put them behind links.

I usually write in past tense but this time, I am writing in present tense so if there's a few mistakes it is because old habits die hard.

Please review otherwise I'll assume no-one is reading this and thanks so much for getting this far.


	2. In Which We Meet Merle

I won't bore you with details irrelevant to the story other than I'm in my third month of college, I'm only doing 7 hours a week, my sister has moved out and we haven't spoken properly since.

A quick (but huge) thank you to everyone who reviewed my first chapter, it was a real boost for me.

(Kida Satsuki, rukz, Missing White Wings 15, Cev, Inda, daisy31, K.Higurashi, darkmist101, tigger093061, Doctor Kiba and Nyah1)

Gaea's Very Own Rogue.

Chapter 2

A shrill scream from the alarm clock beside Van's double bed (an exquisite deal of black sheets and a mahogany four-poster frame) brings his wandering mind to a screeching halt and he bolts upright, breathing heavily. A sheen of sweat glistens on his skin and he kicks off the covers in discomfort; this is the usual hangover routine for Van and he is well practised in the etiquette of waking up after a night of whiskey and assorted alcohol.

Crushing the wailing clock beneath his palm, he heaves himself from the mattress with a groan; wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers slung low on his hips. His head thumps as he manages to stumble through the master bedroom into the en suite to get rid of the disgusting taste in his mouth with liberal amounts of mouthwash.

It is not until he is in the main room of the penthouse, still minimally dressed; flicking on the plasma television and draining a carton of milk that he remembers the date he had set last night. He is supposed to meet Hitomi at some café today for coffee at ten-thirty. The prospect makes his head pound twice as hard, twice as fast, and Van almost sways forward with the nausea.

Leaving the milk carton on the work-surface, a bad habit he'd developed from having a live-in maid years ago, he grabs a clean glass and fills it with water from the sink before dragging his feet back through the front room to the bedroom beside his own.

He eases the door open, having to squint to focus on the curled form of his adopted sister; her face is pained, her clothes are ripped and her make-up is smeared across her features.

Van lets out a tired yawn and drops onto the end of her bed, by her feet.

"Merle."

He receives no reply and lets out another I-can't-deal-with-this sigh.

He should be more considerate to her plight, it's not her fault she has been taken in by a bunch of party-mad addicts who like nothing better than to get wasted on cheap alcohol but a year of witnessing the hours Merle drags herself in by is seriously grating on his patience and hospitality.

"Merle, get up." He reaches over to lay a hand on her shoulder and he shakes her vigorously; startling her into opening her eyes and letting out a cry.

"What! What is it?" Her dilated pupils find Van in the room and she pushes herself up, despite her battered condition. "Van, what's wrong?"

Van can only look at her with dead-pan eyes.

"Nothing. I'm going out later and I thought you should be awake before I leave. And I brought you some water, otherwise you'll get dehydrated." He offers the glass of water without emotion.

Merle's panicked expression gives way to disbelief and she pulls herself back into a ball. Her voice comes out muffled and Van strains to hear her.

"Is that all? I thought you had something important to say."

"I thought you'd appreciate it..."

"You thought wrong. I don't need you to help me. I need you to leave me alone."

"Of course you don't need my help. You're just _fine _on your own, aren't you."

She unfurls to look at him with accusing eyes, her dyed pink hair mussed up and framing her face in jagged angles.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I can't look after myself?"

Van turns away from her, feeling ridiculous arguing in nothing but a pair of boxers, and abandons the glass of water on the bedside table.

"I'm saying there's going to be a time where I'm not around and you'll be so drunk you'll get in serious danger and...and. Well, you know."

His voice trails away pathetically.

Merle scoffs, pulling at her tattered party-dress; some guy had thought it'd be funny to try and pull it down last night but she had retaliated, slapping him across the face, fuelled by anger and alcohol and provoking his nasty side. She'd ended up with a broken glass being swung at her, only just catching her dress. She hadn't even stopped to consider how lucky she'd been.

"I didn't think you cared, Van. A little too late for that now, isn't it?"

"Don't talk to me like that! I only came in here to sort you out before I left. I'm sorry I bothered! Jesus Christ, Merle. What's gotten in to you?"

His voice is rising, reason and rationality being cast to the wind but Merle stops him from driving his point home.

"What's gotten into _me_? I'm not the one putting my health at risk by staying out late every night! At least I know the people who I spend time with! How much did you know about that girl you were with last night, the pimp's girlfriend-?"

He considers lying, swearing blind that he was on his own last night, but he is sure that Merle would see through his lie in a second. "Her name was Keilo. And I knew enough."

"What's her favourite colour, Van? Lucky number?"

"Why should I be expected to know that? That's not important to me."

"How about whether she has a husband? A kid? Are those things important to you?"

An angry blush stains his cheekbones and his refuses to look at her.

Merle gives a short, cruel laugh.

"I knew it. She was nothing more than a quick ego boost. Did you bother to ask if she had anything?"

"Had anything?"

"S.T.Is. Viruses. Infections, Van. Infections that you could have caught."

"Bloody hell, Merle. What sort of question is that? I didn't come here for a Sex. Ed. lecture."

"You shouldn't need one! But apparently you do! You're yelling at me for drinking with _friends _when you're sleeping around with any old broad who'll lay on her back for you!"

"Enough! That's enough, Merle!" The muscles at his stomach flex with tension and he can hear the anger in his voice echo around the room, "Where do you get off lecturing me on my activities when you're just as bad? If there was any chance of me catching anything, I'd handle it! Not that there is even any chance of that because, just for the record, I know how to use protection. I'm not a complete idiot."

He calms his breathing, drawing his anger back into himself, and regains his composure.

Looking at her with cold, auburn eyes, he refuses to let her see how she's affecting him.

"I don't need this shit." He hisses through clenched teeth and with that, he turns, storming from the room and slams the door behind him.

The difference in their social scenes has created a gulf between him and Merle, no longer are they the inseparable siblings of the Fanel Household, instead every encounter is accompanied by another argument and their relationship is in tatters. Van doesn't think he is the one to pull them back together anymore; he doesn't have the willpower or emotional strength to keep walking the tightrope between persuading Merle to stay and coming home one day to find her missing.

Glancing at the clock ticking away on the wall of the front room, the colour drains from Van's face. It's already nine-forty-five in the morning. He's supposed to get from his flat to the stupid café in under an hour?

Almost hurrying back into his room, Van rips open the wardrobe doors and tosses aside the clothes, hoping to find something suitable to wear.

Finally yanking on a pair of dark jeans, he hurries to the bathroom; pulling a comb through the wild mess of hair and brushing his teeth until his arm muscles ache; gargling another mouthful of mouthwash. The nine o'clock shadow will have to wait until later.

Finally, shoving his arms through the sleeves of a black shirt buttoned to mid-chest level, rolling the cuffs up to his elbows and slipping a pair of sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose, Van grabs his car keys and wallet and pulls on the front door handle.

"I'll be back later, Merle."

"Where're you going?" Comes the muffled reply from the bedroom.

"Out. I've arranged to meet someone."

"A girl? If it's another floozy whore you're meeting, don't bother coming home today!"

"We're just going out for a coffee; I want to get to know her better as a friend." Which is partly true. He wants to get to know her better but he'd rather it be on a more physical level than what she has in mind.

"...Use protection!" comes the reply and Van shuts the door with a sigh.

Here goes.

Hitomi ambles through the city centre, remembering the vague directions Van had given her the night before; half a mile north from the city centre. Apparently she will recognise which one he means.

She has Van's leather jacket folded over her arm, one hand stroking the soft material absent-mindedly while she picks her way through the streets and huge buildings and noisy crowds.

She wonders vaguely whether she is a little under-dressed to meet Van for coffee; wearing a sunny yellow strap-top, a light blue denim skirt that hugs her thighs and knee high suede boots.

The boots had been a major mistake; her feet are killing her in the stifling heat and she has half a mind to stop somewhere, buy a pair of flip-flops and throw the boots away but that meant running the risk of being late to the café and she doubts Van is a man you keep waiting.

So Hitomi walks on, nearing her destination at ten-twenty-five am.

Upon turning the corner into a road, one particular building catches her attention; bright and squeezed between two tall office blocks, it looks out of place but comfortably so. It is the sign on the front of the café that stirs a smile on Hitomi's lips and she knows she has found the place Van was referring to.

Entering the Just Coffee Café, Hitomi spares a glance around the room, takes a breath of the smell of fresh coffee and her eyes settle on the dark figure in the corner of the room, sprawled in the comfortable chair like he owns the place. He is instantly recognisable as Van Fanel from last night; the same aura of effortless suavity and intense calm radiates off this man and it takes a second for Hitomi to come to her senses and make her way over.

Van looks the epitome of male style; the dark sleeves of his shirt folded up to his elbows reveal tanned forearms and a pair of shades pushed into the wild mess of hair. Hitomi's heart would have skipped a beat or two if she'd have let it but she refuses, taking a deep breath and slipping into the seat opposite the man.

He does not realise he has company until she has sat down in front of him; his mind on his problems with Merle. In a second, however, his attention is caught by Hitomi's sunny disposition and he bares a canine tooth in a grin.

"Hey. I'm glad you could make it." He's still not entirely sure how to behave on a date such as this, because although Hitomi swears it is just coffee to thank him for his company last night, a date is exactly what it is. She has yet to realise it.

Hitomi reflects his smile, her eyes sparkling in the sunshine pouring into the café.

"Oh! I have your jacket here, I'm so sorry about forgetting it last night." She hands it over and Van hangs it over the back of his chair, another grin splaying on his face.

"Thanks, Hitomi. I forgot it myself actually."

Hitomi smiles again, smoothing out the creases in a napkin on the table, unable to look Van in the eye.

"So. Are you here on your own? I mean, do you have any family in the city?"

Van's easygoing smirk lessens somewhat, his eyes boring into her and little lines of emotion appearing between his eyebrows.

"Yeah. A bit of it." His mouth flattens into a tiny frown and Hitomi reprimands herself angrily for touching on a painful subject not two minutes from arriving.

"Oh. Uh...Oh."

Van lets out a sigh of breath and puts his palm to his forehead, shaking his head as a sign that Hitomi should forget his sudden frostiness.

"I think I have a hangover, I'm a little tetchy."

So much for being suave and charming.

Instead of being insulted, however, Hitomi has a look of concern on her face; her mouth turned down in a frown.

"Do you want to go somewhere else? This is a nice café but it's a little noisy. We can find somewhere quieter if you like…"

Van looks at her; really looks at her, dead in the eye, trying to see if she's hinting at a little 'alone-time' at one of their apartments. That's what most women do when he meets them, more interested in the physical side of a short-relationship.

But no, he only finds innocent concern sparkling in this strange girl's eyes and an appreciative grin quirks the sides of his lips.

"Alright then. There's a park around here, we can grab a coffee and go sit there?"

And so they do, ordering coffees to go before slipping out of the throng of the crowds and making their way to the large expanse of park; acres and acres of greenery, a huge oak or sakura tree planted here and there, surrounded by smaller, flowery plants. It is relatively free of people, except for the few families and couples sitting on benches, talking and having picnics.

Van takes a hold of Hitomi's hand and leads her along the twisting paths before settling down beside a grand pond, beneath an oak tree.

"This is so much better, my head was killing me in that place."

Hitomi takes a sip of her coffee, legs crossed on the grass, looking out across the water at the ducks and swans and toy boats paddling across.

"You shouldn't have come; we could have arranged something another time."

She spares a glance at him over the rim of her cardboard cup, taking care not to be noticed.

Van leans back on his elbows, coffee placed precariously beside him, longs legs stretched out in front of him. He has replaced his sunglasses on his eyes and undone another button on his shirt, the sun becoming unbearable.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

And he falls silent, offering no more on the subject.

Eventually, after a moment of quiet, he turns to her again, taking a sip of coffee before speaking.

"So, Hitomi, tell me about yourself."

He plays with a blade of grass, twisting it between his fingertips. He longs for a cigarette, a desire for emotional release burning in his stomach, but he had given up that vice nearly two years ago when it had started to dull his senses; a situation he refused to accept since he so loved to taste the salt and sweat mingling on a woman's skin.

Instead he holds the blade of grass like a cigarette, peering at it like he could inhale from it at any moment.

Hitomi opens her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the shrill alert of an incoming call on her cell phone.

She glances at Van, apologies ready to fly off her tongue when he makes a gesture, urging her to go ahead and answer it.

She digs it out from her bag and flips it open, glancing at the screen to see who is interrupting such an important day but it reveals only that the caller is unidentified.

"Hello?"

"..._Hitomi?"_

Dread fills the young woman like a cold sweat and her cheeks burn with indignation. He wasn't supposed to be able to contact her; she had blocked his number and any contact details she possessed of his. He must be calling from another phone.

"Mishime."

Van sits up further on his elbows, looking at Hitomi, recognising the name from something she had mentioned last night. Mishime had been the one to have the affair.

He watches Hitomi for a little longer, as she reddens from something Mishime has just said.

Hitomi seethes silently; she is in half a mind to just hang up…

"No, Mishime. I'm not coming back for a long while. Maybe never."

"_Come home, babes. I miss you."_

"What happened to Tsumatsi?"

"_She never meant anything to me, babes. Honest. You're the only one for me."_

"Uh huh, I'm so sure."

She really had loved him, a whole lot. She had been ready to marry him…maybe Tsumatsi really hadn't meant anything to him…perhaps he had just strayed-

The phone slips from her hand and she gasps, thinking she has dropped it in her train of thought.

Instead, Van has it in his hand, having sneaked it from her; he gives her a confident quirk of his lips and puts the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Who's this?" _The voice on the other end sounds suspicious.

"I'm with Hitomi. Who're you?"

"_I'm Hitomi's boyfriend. How do you know her?"_

A thousand possible comebacks run through Van's mind, from 'I'm her brother and I'm going to kick your ass' to 'I'm Hitomi's secret lover. Let's trade technique!'

He almost wants to let out an excited chuckle, except that Van Fanel does not chuckle.

As a compromise, he settles for a relatively demure reply.

"I'm Hitomi's new boyfriend." The word tastes strange in his mouth; he hasn't used the word 'boyfriend' in years, not since he was sixteen. Since then, he has been referred to as 'lover' and in some strange cases, 'toy-boy'.

"_Boyfriend? You can't be."_

"That's not what Hitomi says. She says I make a great boyfriend too. Want to ask her?"

Before the jerk can reply, he holds the phone out to Hitomi who stumbles over an 'uh…yeah'

He replaces it to his ear.

"See? Hitomi _likes _me. Plus she's fantastic in be-"

"Van!"

He looks up to see Hitomi's embarrassed expression, her eyes wide and a blush creeping across her face.

He can't stop the grin slipping onto his lips and he winks at her to show he is joking.

"Oh, looks like I'm needed. This girl is insatiable."

And with that, he promptly hangs up, handing the phone back to Hitomi who accepts it numbly.

Without any indication as to what he just did, he returns to his coffee, taking a sip and hiding his smug expression behind the rim of the cup.

Hitomi splutters, staring at him, incredulous.

"You can't go around saying that to people you don't know!"

"Why not? He'll think you're taken now, besides it's not like he can do anything about it. You shouldn't worry; I thought you wanted to be rid of him?"

"Well…I do but-" She looks away, at a loss for a reason "but what if he goes to my friends or family demanding an explanation?"

Van leans back against the grass, looking a picture of leisure.

"For one thing, they know no more than he does. And for another, what can he demand? Who did that irresistibly sexy voice belong to?"

Hitomi shifts uncomfortably. "You're very sure of yourself, aren't you."

Van looks at her with misunderstanding in his eyes,

"It's not that. I just thought you'd appreciate him being off your case..."

Hitomi slouches, feeling ridiculous.

"Sorry" She mumbles. "I don't like to think about him, that's all. What did he say when you said you were my...you know...?" She looks up with a faintly gleeful look on her face, revelling in having an accomplice against Mishime.

Van finally glances at her, a smile lighting his features. This is the side of Hitomi he prefers to see, carefree and fun-loving.

"I'm sure he didn't really believe me--"

His gaze is suddenly drawn to her lips when her tongue darts out to wet them. He wonders for a second, not for the first time either, what it would feel like to taste them; finding another advantage to quitting smoking, if he hadn't, it would all taste like tobacco one way or another.

He leans an inch or two forward, forgetting all about his coffee, places a palm on the back of Hitomi's neck and pulls her to him.

Hitomi is stunned. With wide eyes, she sees Van advancing, his molten eyes focused on her lips and she very nearly lets him do as he will. She leans the tiniest bit forward, towards him when her senses suddenly jolt alert.

She can't do this, not anymore. Mishime was the last man to mess her around; she all too readily gave her heart to him and he willingly broke it.

She puts a hand against Van's chest, averting her face away from his so his lips land clumsily on her cheek. She almost gives in when she feels his chest muscles tense beneath her fingertips, but she pushes firmly.

"No Van, I can't. I told you last night, I'm not looking for anything like that."

Van's expression scatters and he lets go instantly, sitting up straight and facing the pond. Hitomi can see the muscles in his jaw clenched tight and she is almost concerned. The warm, funny personality that he was exuding just seconds ago has been frozen and he doesn't move an inch.

Hitomi composes herself, circling her arms around raised knees and staring down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Van. If you think I've been leading you on".

"Forget it." Is all the reply she receives.

"Seriously. It wasn't my intention to make you think we could...you know."

"I said forget it" The same deadpan tone.

Hitomi looks sideways at him, her brows furrowed. Either he wasn't used to rejection or his ego was so incredibly inflated that he thought he could just pretend it didn't happen and she'd finally relent.

"Oh, grow up!"

Van jerks a little, no female outside of his family has ever told him to grow up...He isn't sure how to respond.

"For god's sake, Van. Here I am, apologising for something you did and you're too immature to just forgive me."

Van finally looks at her. His eyes aren't accusatory, or arrogant, or judging. He just looks at her, taking her in and processing her words.

"I'm sorry, Hitomi."

His tone isn't deadpan anymore, or assuming that she'll just agree. He sounds sincere, and Hitomi gets the tiniest glimpse of the real Van behind the macho ladies-man.

"It's okay. You're forgiven."

It's not long later that they are once again chatting amiably, discussing hometowns and favourite movies and aspirations. Hitomi feels completely at ease with the stranger and it settles on her nerves.

She peers into her coffee cup, screwing her lips up in thought.

"You know, we're practically strangers yet I've told you more about myself today than I think most people back home know."

Van glances at her, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely. I was just thinking how weird it is. Considering how we got talking last night."

"Hmm. I suppose so."

"Do you think we'd be here, talking like this, if you hadn't needed an excuse to ditch that girlfriend of yours?"

"Of course. I've no doubt of it."

Hitomi has to laugh at this, Van's quiet innocence blends with a sly confidence and the smile stays on her lips. Glancing back down at her coffee, she checks the hands on her watch, only just registering that it was the early afternoon already.

"Shit!"

Van jerks upright, adrenalin rushing through him at her alerted tone.

"What is it?"

She has her wrist held out in front of her and she is looking down at her wristwatch with a look of surprise on her face.

"We've been out for hours! I didn't realise it's gone two o'clock."

Van puts a palm over his heart, exaggerating the relief he feels.

"Jesus, Hitomi. I thought something was wrong.

Hitomi stands up sharply, feeling the muscles in her legs protest.

"Something _is _wrong; I promised a friend of mine I would call her soon. She's going to blow a fuse."

Van joins her in standing, running a hand through his hair and brushing down his dark jeans.

"You women and your phone calls. Thanks for today anyway, I've had fun."

Hitomi blushes gently, looking at the ground.

"Me too, Van. Maybe we could meet up again soon."

And with that, she leans up and kisses him on the cheek chastely before turning and walking away.

Van watches her go, eyes wide, a palm over his cheek.

What a strange turn of events….

Striding happily into the hotel reception, Hitomi can't help the smile taking over her features.

As soon as she gets to her room, she will recount the entire day to Yukari, who will no doubt squeal and ask a thousand questions.

A young lady behind the large desk stands up, waving to catch her attention.

"Miss!"

Hitomi stops, looking at her curiously.

The woman beckons her over with another wave of her hand.

"Would you happen to be Hitomi?"

Hitomi smiles gently, nodding once.

The woman looks relieved, rummaging in the paper on her desk in a hurry.

"Thank god. I've been asking every woman who has walked past here. It started getting tedious after a while! Anyway, this was delivered for you not long ago, at about eleven."

Hitomi takes it gingerly, noting the very simple 'Hitomi Kanzaki' scrawled on the front of the envelope. It must have been delivered personally.

"Who sent this?"

"Gosh, erm...I'm afraid I don't know, miss. I wasn't here when it arrived, but someone might have written down a name or a number or something, I'll have to flick through the records and phone your room. Is everything alright?"

Hitomi dismisses her with a shake of her head, thanks her and moves away again, towards the elevator.

No-one knows she lives here; she hasn't even told Yukari where she's located yet…

She feels a deepening sense of concern run through her when she unlocks her door and shuts herself in, still staring down at the letter.

Flipping the letter over in her fingertips, her heart feels incredibly heavy as she rips open the top of the envelope, seeing a single square of paper inside.

Another thrill of concern runs through her and she reads the message, alarm growing with every word.

_My dearest Hitomi. I know you are upset and refuse to talk to me on the phone, which is why I have penned this letter in the hopes that you will read it and understand. It took me a long time to find you, I must admit you almost escaped me entirely. But I will show you that we are meant to be together._

_Your loving Mishime._

The letter is dropped and Hitomi chokes on a sob, stepping away from it as if it is poison. Mishime knows where she's staying. He must have been in the city sometime after she'd left to meet Van.

Fear runs cold through her in her blood; she doesn't want to see Mishime again, ever. The only reason she booked a room in a hotel in this city, so far from home, was to escape what he'd done.

She should call Van.

He will know what to do…No. Her mind retaliates against phoning Van. It's not even that big of a deal, and you'll only be bothering Van with your problems. We have to sort this out ourselves.

Hitomi stands for a moment, debating with herself as to whether she should phone Van or not.

Picking up the message and envelope from the floor, she immediately disposes of them; ripping them up into tiny pieces before washing them away down the sink in the kitchenette.

Not too far away, Van lets himself into his own flat, casting his jacket aside and slipping off his boots. It is pleasantly cool in the apartment and it feels fantastic against Van's skin after spending the day in an almost sweltering Gaean heat.

He pulls the shades from his hair, dropping them onto the table beside the couch and undoes a few more buttons on his shirt.

About to move into the kitchen, wanting to take a cold bottle of beer from the fridge, he gets no further than the front room when a voice catches his attention from another room.

Deciding to forego the beer, Van moves into Merle's bedroom, finding her in pretty much the same position he left her in earlier that day.

She unfurls slightly, not noticing Van is standing in the doorway. Her cell phone is pressed against her ear, the buzzing of a voice on the other end indicating Merle is talking to somebody.

Her eyes remain closed and she grunts, agreeing with whatever the other voice has said.

"No, I know. He had some on him last night. No, it wasn't the hard stuff. Just weed probably. I have no idea where he'd get that much either."

Van's heart rate increases when he gets the gist of the conversation. Merle was at that party last night. And some guy had brought drugs. Van's vision reddens and he takes another step into the room, clearing his throat to get Merle's attention.

Her eyes snap open and she looks at him, blue eyes narrowing in anger.

"What're you looking at me like that for?"

"Hang up the phone, Merle. We need to talk."

By his expression, Merle knows not to argue and she makes her excuses into the cell phone before snapping it shut.

Heaving herself up from the bed, she sits on the edge placidly, watching Van with piercing eyes.

Van doesn't know where to begin. The drugs. That's as good a place as any since he refuses to have anything to do with the stuff, in his life and in his home. He stops pacing, turning his attention to his little sister.

"I've let you get away with a lot of things in the past, Merle. I've looked past your stealing habit a few years ago, I even paid for you to get help with it, I've turned a blind eye to the hours you get in from bars, I didn't say a word when I had to pick you up from Atlanta at three in the morning because you were too drunk to make your own way home. You have to admit that I've been bloody lenient with regard to the things you get up to."

Merle, wide-eyed, continues to stare at him, wondering what on earth she had done to make him sound so frustrated, infuriated and disappointed all at once.

She nods once, biting into her bottom lip.

Van begins to pace again, feeling his blood boil.

"But I will tell you now, once and for all, that what I won't tolerate is drug-taking. That crosses the line far beyond anything you've ever done before and I won't allow it."

Merle, incredulous, watches him with a gaping mouth.

"Drug-taking. That's what you're so worked up over?"

Van has to clench a fist to stop himself taking it out on anything else. The way she says it, likes its nothing more than a 10 minute hobby, makes his logic blur with anger.

"Do you not understand how serious this, Merle? Are you so far gone that you don't even care about what you're getting into!"

"Van! Stop it, for god's sake! Is this because you overheard me on the phone? You shouldn't even have been listening, by the way."

That does it, Van can even feel himself being pushed over the edge and he can do nothing to stop it. The dreaded words build up in his mind, making their way to his lips where he can do nothing but amplify them.

"If I ever catch you taking drugs, or possessing drugs, and I mean anything; even the novice stuff, I'll have no choice but to ask you to leave."

Merle's intake of breath pains him but he can't take back the words now. They circulate around the pair like vultures and tears waver in Merle's eyes.

Van struggles for something to say that will make this all better yet he can't help but feel the situation become a tightrope that either of them could fall from with a single word.

"I don't want to, Merle. Believe me, but I won't sit by and watch you destroy yourself. It's up to you to decide what's more important; partying and taking drugs with your friends. Or being here with me."

The raw emotion in his voice forces him to leave the room before Merle can hear the desperation in his tone and he shuts the door behind him, wandering out into the living room and collapsing onto the leather couch.

His hair falls over his eyes, shielding him from the reality of his screwed-up life. If he could just go back to when Folken threatened to leave, and replay it. Maybe if he did something different...maybe if he refused to believe Folken when he said he'd still visit, or if he refused to let go when Folken snuck into his room late that night to give him one last brotherly hug, Folken would still be here. They'd still be the Fanel Brothers and Merle wouldn't be replacing Folken with drink and drugs.

Tears well up in his eyes and he stands from the couch, dragging his feet over to the fridge. He is about to pull out a bottle of beer, aiming to get as drunk as he could as quickly as possible, when a noise behind him attracts his attention.

"Van?" Her tone is small, sensitive and Van can imagine Merle's expression without even looking around.

"Hm."

"I'm…" She hesitates, toying with a lace on her new dress.

"What is it, Merle?" He forces his voice to be calm, collected to ease the atmosphere.

She moves towards him until he can feel the heat resonating from her on his back.

"I'm sorry...for making you think I take drugs. I was telling Freya what an idiot that guy was for bringing stuff and I swear to god I didn't take anything myself. I never have. And I never would."

He is about to speak when she interrupts him, her voice wavers with emotion.

"I don't want to leave. Please don't make me."

Van cannot help but turn around now, gathering her smaller frame in his arms, crushing her to his chest.

"God, Merle. I'm so sorry for accusing you. I just heard you talking about it, and I assumed you'd finally gone too far and taken something. I don't want you to leave. I would never be able to let you go, let alone kick you out."

His hand runs through her hair, feeling her relax, and he holds her tighter.

"I'm so, so sorry, Merle. We've fallen apart, really, haven't we."

He feels Merle nod slightly and places a kiss on her temple.

"Come on. Have you eaten?"

Another movement of her head indicates a 'no'

He feels a smile ease onto his lips.

"Would you like me to cook you something then?"

It is early evening and Van is sitting at one end of the leather couch, Merle's head in his lap while the rest of her is stretched out along the sofa. She is sleeping peacefully, full from the lunch Van cooked for her and exhausted from the scare she'd experienced.

Van absentmindedly strokes her dyed hair, tucking it behind her ear before running his hand up and down her arm in a comforting gesture.

His mind is elsewhere from the scene; the relationship between him and Merle has deteriorated lately, their strong wills clashing whenever they were in the same room. It is painful for Van to think about since Merle is the only family he really has left. He fears that one day he will say something too close to the mark and force her from his life too.

Today he'd come extremely close. _I'll have no choice but to ask you to leave._

Van lets out a growl at his stupidity and looks down at the sleeping form of his adopted sister. This is why he didn't like people to get too close. This is the reason every relationship he'd had since Folken left were meaningless experiences; each girl was just a way of getting that emotional and physical release before he moved on.

It is sick, Van knows that. He knows exactly how the girls feel when he stops calling after a few days but he can't stop. He refuses to get acquainted with them any further than what the woman looks like undressed. Merle is all he has left, and Merle is all he needs.

Night is fast approaching while Hitomi continues to ignore the ringing of the phone in her front room as she lathers the conditioner into her hair, resting her back against the cold tiles of the shower wall. She refuses to ruin her shower to answer the phone when the answer-machine will pick it up anyway. It'd probably stop ringing as soon as she reached it in any case.

For another 5 minutes, the phone continues to ring, a shrill vibrating sort of buzz that makes her grit her teeth.

"I'm not here, hang up already!"

Rinsing the bubbles from her hair with a scowl, she finally switches off the shower and reaches for a fluffy white towel, wrapping it around her torso and another around her hair to keep it from dripping.

She takes her own sweet time drying and getting dressed, a token gesture that whoever called will have to wait even longer to have their message heard.

Finally, Hitomi wanders into the front room, glancing at the red light, showing her she has a new message.

Stabbing at the play button, she settles into the couch beside the table and waits for the message to play.

_**Hitomi. I'm guessing you got my other message? I hope you took the time to read it, I put a lot of effort into writing exactly what I felt.**_

_**As you've probably already guessed, I have been in the city. I called your cell phone from a phone booth a little way from your apartment block. It's a very nice building. I'm glad to see you haven't lost your taste. Who was that man on the other end? He says he's your boyfriend and from what he said, I take it you've slept with him? I'll be very upset if I find out this is true, Hitomi. And you know I will find out. Well, I have to go. Don't forget what I said last time, I will show you we're meant to be together. **_

_**Goodbye, Hitomi. Your loving Mishime.**_

His voice sends a cold chill running through Hitomi's bones and she shivers, rushing to turn the answer machine off.

Phone Van, every cell in her body screams at her. But she can't bother him, he'll think she's clingy and needy; two things Hitomi refuses to stoop to.

And yet, if Mishime has followed her to the city and is certainly hinting that he might do something dangerous, she could be in serious risk…

Picking up the phone, her hand shaking, Hitomi has to refer to the answer-machine for Van's number from his message.

She types in each number as it is called out and she places the phone next to her ear, breathing in deeply but still feeling the constriction around her lungs. Tears well up in her eyes, memories of Mishime's betrayal circulating in her mind. All of those emotions from when she first found out are being dug up, she was never over it by any means but now it feels like the open wounds are only seconds old.

The phone does not ring for very long before Van's voice mutters a croaky "_Hello?"_

"Van?"

"_Hitomi?"_

"Yeah it's me-" She feels a tear slide down her cheek but she makes no move to wipe it away. "I'm sorry for calling you, Van but I'm…worried."

"_Worried? What's happened?"_

Hitomi takes a deep breath, her voice shuddering.

"It's Mishime. He called at my apartment a moment ago."

"_Oh...He's not supposed to know where you live, is he? What did he say?"_

"I'll show you-" And she rewinds the tape on the answer machine, presses play and holds the phone near it so Van can hear the playback.

Van continues stroking Merle's hair while he listens to the message.

_-- from what he said, I take it you've slept with him? I'll be very upset if I find out this is true, Hitomi. And you know I will find out._

He sort of regrets telling Mishime about Hitomi being good in bed. It was only supposed to make Mishime know he's missing out, not provoke him to threaten Hitomi and Van wonders whether seeing the look on Hitomi's face when he'd said it was worth putting her in danger.

Hitomi's voice comes back.

"_Do you see what I mean?"_

"Jesus, Hitomi. I don't like the idea of you being alone tonight."

"_There's not a lot I can do. I'll be fine, I'm sure. I just wanted to know what you think I should do about him."_

"I think you should spend the night with a friend."

"_There's no-one I know in the city, Van."_

"Oh. You could always spend the night at my place…"

Oh great, now it'd sound like he is trying to hit on her. Looking down at Merle, he frowns a little.

"_I appreciate that, Van, but I don't want to intrude. I just…I didn't know who else to call."_

"Hey, it's okay. Any time. But if you don't feel comfortable on your own tonight, will you come over to my apartment? I really don't like the idea of just leaving you."

"_If you're sure you really wouldn't mind…"_

"Not at all. My address is-"

Hitomi writes it down on the memo pad beside the phone, assuring Van that she will be okay. He tells her that Mishime is probably some pervert who's getting off on her fear and he's powerless so long as Hitomi doesn't give in to intimidation.

Relaxing now in the single bed in her bedroom, Hitomi looks up at the ceiling, wondering if it was such a good idea to turn down Van's offer of having company tonight.

She turns over, huddling into the pillow until she can't see the outside world any further than the duvet. Every creak and knock in the apartment makes her want to scream but she holds it in, she won't let Mishime scare her; no matter how creepy he's becoming.

She hears Van's voice in her head.

_"He's just a pervert getting kicks out of scaring you. Besides, he can't do a thing if you refuse to give in. Intimidating you makes him feel powerful. But if you do think something's wrong, promise me you'll come by?"_

Sleep is an age away and Hitomi lies there for what seems like hours, thinking of Van protecting her.

Morning couldn't have come sooner for Hitomi who is alert even before the sun is up. She throws the sheets away from her and jumps up, feeling like she is being watched the entire time. It makes her stomach churn and she can't manage to force herself to eat breakfast.

Almost jumping into fresh clothes with panic growing in her heart, she grabs the bag with her wallet, keys and phone and slings it over her shoulder, hurrying to leave the suffocating atmosphere of her flat as soon as possible. Today she is going to spend as long as possible in the city centre, mingling with a crowd of strangers, not speaking to anyone in the hopes that even if Mishime is following her, he will lose her in seconds.

Not bothering to wait for the elevator in the apartment block, she takes the stairs two at a time until she is at the entrance. She calms her breath, suppressing the panic and holds her head up, renewed determination settling in her chest.

She is going to enjoy today, and not rely on the strange man, Van, to keep her safe.

Striding down the street, her emerald eyes bright with strength, she is oblivious to the figure sitting on the bench just across the street from her apartment building.

He watches her walk away, ignorant to his eyes on her, a whistling tune on his lips. He casts his eyes back down when she looks around, a smug smirk balanced on his face.

She is so close to him, and she doesn't even realise it.

Creepy messages on the phone are the least of her worries.

End of Chapter 2

Important points:

I have a horrible feeling that now that I've posted this chapter, I'm going to think of a hundred ways to improve it and you'll all be disappointed, so if you can, please include a couple things about how I can improve this story in your review, it would help me immensely.

Same as before, I'm worried you might not like my rendition of Merle but please don't be turned off by it.

I only posted the previous chapter up a short while ago but don't expect every chapter to be updated as recently, college is getting demanding.

Thanks for reading and please review, it'll help me write the next chapter so I'll be able to update faster. You have my eternal gratitude.


	3. In Which Hitomi Is Prey

Hello again, I can't tell you how happy it made me to see the review count double for this story literally overnight. It made my stomach go all funny so I thank you more than I can explain.

Gaea's Very Own Rogue

Chapter 3

Early morning in the centre of the buzzing Gaean city is as busy as Hitomi had expected and hoped. A tide of commuters and early-bird shoppers shift and sway through the streets, faces turned up to bask in the sun and Hitomi is indistinguishable from the hundreds-strong crowd.

Even if Mishime has followed her, she will be impossible for him to find and keep track of.

The balls of her feet ache in protest and she dearly wants to stop in a café to catch her breath but the chance of managing to escape the swarm seems slim. Instead, she lets the people direct her through the wide streets, having no idea where she is heading herself. It feels wonderful, the notion that in this sea of faces, she is hidden from the world; anonymous and free to think what she will. For the moment, she feels completely safe.

Hitomi continues down the street, trying to keep from stepping on people's feet while keeping her eyes directed in front of her, when a gap in the crowd breaks for the moment in front of a very high-class fashion store.

She has to take the chance to escape and relax for a moment and so she shoves and apologies her way through the tutting commuters until she is separated from the crowd and expelled into the shop.

Before she draws a breath, having not been in here for two seconds, she has already recieved a few snooty glances from the employees; very posh, thorough-bred women who look down their large noses at her.

Hitomi holds her head high; advancing past some beautiful dresses and obscenely expensive shoes, conservative clutch bags and some of the most sparkling jewellery she has ever laid eyes on.

She manages to ignore the heavy atmosphere while leaning over the jewellery counter, her eyes wandering over the diamonds and gems and silver bands before she notices someone standing on the other side of the counter in front of her.

"Can I help you, madam."

The woman is clearly an employee, dressed in a very grand suit, diamonds clutching her scrawny throat like talons. Her eyes scan over Hitomi in her denim and fabric and her expression says it all. 'Your type doesn't belong in a shop like this.'

Hitomi straightens up, her emerald eyes levelling with the woman's.

"Not right now. I haven't seen anything I like yet."

Her expression remains neutral and she almost dares the woman to retort back.

"Well, madam. Might I suggest something a little less...diamond. It takes a certain class of woman to pull of diamonds and silver."

Hitomi reddens, her brow furrows and she averts her gaze in shame. Her 'class' has nothing to do with this woman!

Feeling the gazes of the other employees turning to them and hearing the whispery voices of gossiping, Hitomi forces a smile.

"But it's nice that you attempted it anyway, isn't it."

The woman's face is enough to give Hitomi a brief shine of satisfaction. That'll teach her to mess with Hitomi when she is feeling down.

The employee behind the counter is about to snarl a reply when Hitomi feels another presence behind her shoulder.

"Leave her alone, Leino. You're going to have no business if you chase away all your customers."

Hitomi turns to the speaker, a young girl with naturally tanned skin, big blue eyes and a pixie bob of pink hair.

"Sorry, Miss Merle. I didn't see you there."

The woman behind the counter curtsies with a big fake smile.

Hitomi frowns at her and turns back to 'Merle'.

"Uh. Thank you. I had it covered but thanks anyway."

Merle smiles in a reassuring 'I hate her too, don't worry about it' sort of way, and bares a mouthful of straight teeth and two rather pointed canines.

"No problem. I'm Merle by the way." She extends her hand in an offer.

Hitomi shakes her hand and smiles slightly if rather dazed, "Nice to meet you, I'm Hitomi." This woman is obviously just as spoilt as the employee and she feels a stab of resentment, "And I've got to go; I'm pretty busy. Goodbye Merle."

"Goodbye!"

And without another word, Hitomi dashes from the shop with indignation burning in her stomach before anyone could notice she really did not belong with the highly-paid, highly-spoilt shoppers and employees.

Merle watches the girl go, her smile fading before turning back to the counter, eyes fixing on the diamonds and jewellery,

"I wish you wouldn't do that to people, Leino. There isn't any sort of requirement to be allowed to look around in here."

"Of course, Miss Merle. I feel dreadful, truly."

"Of course you do. May I have a look at that one?"

She presses her fingertip against the pane of glass to indicate the diamonds she is interested in, her fingernail clicking against the surface.

"Here we go, Miss Merle. Any special occasions coming up?"

Merle holds the choker necklace against her throat, turning this way and that and frowning in thought.

"Mmm." She hands back the necklace and points to another, receiving it without a smile. "Brother's hosting another company ball. I'm going to need a dress as well."

The employee's eyes light up at the mention of the ball. It is always the talk of the town when it comes up each year, everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the adored Fanels in their finery, surrounded by the loyal workers at Escaflowne Corp. and the magnificence that the ball guaranteed. To have the opportunity to attend is an honour bestowed on close friends and family of the Fanels, employees of the corporation and their plus one.

The female employee of the fancy store leans closer to Merle who is sampling a diamond ring.

"I would love to go to the ball, just once. It would be the highlight of my year..."

Merle spares her the slightest glance before turning back to her reflection.

"Really?"

"Oh yes. I would love to." The suggestion in her tone is thick.

"Hm. That's nice to hear." And her indifference sours the woman's expression.

Handing back the ring, Merle tucks her hair behind her ear and turns away, her eyes scanning the sea of expensive but luxurious dresses.

"Finding a dress is going to be harder than I thought."

Not too far away from the centre of the city, the door to Hitomi's apartment eases open with a quiet squeak and a figure, dressed from head to toe in black, takes one step inside before freezing.

His ears perk, catching any sounds in the apartment, before taking another step.

Nothing else moves.

He is safe to proceed.

A twisted grin settles on his lips and he eases the door shut behind him, blocking out the world from his little fantasy.

"Honey. I'm home..."

A thrill of delight runs through him at the vision of Hitomi rushing in to greet her husband, pecking him on the cheek before starting on his dinner. He would sit down in front of the T.V., order his wife to slide in a pornography DVD for him to enjoy while his food cooked.

His grin widens, that would be his perfect day. After he'd finished his food and the DVD, he would order Hitomi to go warm up their matrimonial bed before joining her for a few leisurely hours of fumbling and fucking.

Feeling himself heating up, Mishime throws himself down on the couch, hanging his arms across the back of the chair while his blood cools down.

Angry thoughts rotate round and round in his head, taunting his inability to claim Hitomi.

'If I want her, I'll get her, alright? I just have to work on her a little longer. It'll be worth it after the disappointment Tsumatsi gave me. Silly bitches, the pair of them.'

Tapping his fingers on the cool fabric of the settee, his gaze circles the room, taking in his surroundings. It is nothing too fancy, modest decoration and sparse furniture but Mishime feels a frown pulling on the corners of his mouth; even if this little flat is nothing to boast about, it is Hitomi's. It is hers to do with as she will, here she answers to nobody but herself and that independence angers Mishime.

Women shouldn't have such independence.

The phone beside him blares in the little room with its shrill scream, and he stares at it for a long time before it stops. Eventually a little red light begins to flash on the black box beside the phone, new message.

Mishime reaches across the couch and stabs at the play button on the answering machine.

"_You have one new message. One saved message. To listen to the new message, press play. To delete the message-"_

Mishime presses play, wondering who the hell had Hitomi's number already in this big city.

"_Hitomi! Hey, you're obviously not in right now but I thought I'd call_-"

A sneer envelopes his lips at the sound of Yukari's voice; that little wench annoyed him with her constant smiles and laughs.

Stabbing the button to delete Yukari's message, the mechanical voice kicks in again.

"_Message deleted. You have one saved message. To listen to saved message press skip_."

He complies, fully expecting to hear his own voice blare back at him.

What he really hears causes his heart to jolt.

"_Uh hi, Hitomi. It's Van, from the bar tonight, remember. Uh, I've been thinking about where you might like to meet up. There's this little coffee shop just off the city centre, about half a mile north. You'll know which one I mean. I thought…Well, if you want to meet up then I'll be there at about ten-thirty in the morning. I hope you decide to come…Goodnight, Hitomi._"

It's him. That voice is the same as the one who spoke so daringly to him on Hitomi's cell phone.

Fury beyond anything he'd ever experienced settles in his lungs and he has trouble breathing when he recalls what that voice had said about Hitomi.

Mishime has to admit, he had thought the voice on the phone before was just a stranger Hitomi asked to scare him off. Now, to find out Van really knows Hitomi, that they went out on a real date, he feels his blood begin to boil.

Stabbing at the skip button until it almost cracks under his fingertip, he almost desperately tries to find his own recorded message he had sent Hitomi.

Nothing.

It's not there.

Hitomi has deleted it.

His breath rips out in rags, the tendons in his neck bulge and, heaving himself from the couch; he rips the answering machine from its cable and launches it at the nearest wall, revelling in the smashing of black plastic.

There, now no-one's message would be heard.

Physically feeling the anger in his chest demand more, he steps over the crushed answering machine, making his way to single bedroom, unfurnished except for a single bed and a set of drawers.

He needs a way to invade her privacy; more than just being in her living room. Affect her more than just wrecking her measly answering machine.

Pulling out the drawers until they crash to the floor, Mishime spills the contents out, rifling through her clothes and redecorating the room with the splintered wood.

Her mattress is next to be overturned, blankets shredded and wooden frame kicked askew, the curtains are torn down from their hooks.

Standing in the middle of the destroyed room, Mishime struggles to gain control over his breathing and his chest heaves with exertion, his face red with strain but his anger has been satisfied.

He imagines to himself, not for the first time, taking his anger out on Hitomi; a backhanded slap now and again would do it. Just to show he means business.

Feeling his fury finally subside, he closes the bedroom door on the chaotic scene behind him and re-enters the main room of the apartment.

It's too neat. Everything is too neat and Mishime itches to mess it all up, to mess Hitomi up.

Another sneer locates itself on his lips as he begins his destructive streak, tipping over chairs and tables, clearing with mantelpiece with a single swipe, emptying the contents of the fridge onto the floor.

A sudden crash makes him jump and his attention is drawn to the kitchen drawer that has fallen and scattered its contents.

At his feet, a single red felt marker comes to a stop and Mishime, chest heaving, hair in a tangled knot, shirt torn and pants creased, reaches down to pick it up.

His eyes avert to the wall over the mantelpiece and, flicking off the lid, he approaches; pen in hand, message in his head, canvas in front of his eyes.

The room is left as it is for hours after Mishime finally leaves, whistling a jaunty tune until Hitomi arrives back home, shopping bags in hand and a smile set on her lips.

It does not stay for long, however, for one glance around the room pours dread over Hitomi's heart and her breath catches in her throat.

Everything...All of her things have been more or less destroyed. Photo frames lay shattered on the floor, vases of flowers were obviously crushed beneath foot, side tables lay on their side...

She drops her bags where she stands, her hand flying to her mouth to conceal the cry of despair.

Her hotel room has been ruined, there's barely anything to salvage...moving through the room to her bedroom, another intake of breath keeps her tears at bay as she sees the wreck her room is in. Someone has been in her bedroom, her privacy, and destroyed everything.

A cascade of tears flood her emerald eyes and she tries to brush them away, only to let out a sob, and another, before her whole body is shaking with suppressed cries.

It is the worst experience she has had to date. The feeling that someone has forced their way into her life is bad enough, but to have her little world invaded and wrecked is something entirely different.

Hitomi makes her way back to the main room, trying to look at anything but the room as a whole, emeralds dart from one surface to another, taking in the damage with a heavy sigh. Something large and red on the wall opposite her kitchenette catches her attention from the corner of her eye, and she turns slowly, dread settles like a cold sweat over her skin.

Roughly 4 feet up and across, in a rushed chicken-scratch scrawl, a message is not only imprinted on her wall, but in her mind too. She feels sick; her eyes are wide and brimmed with tears of a different sort. These, unlike the last, are not just of frustration and fear. They are tears of total vulnerability and of having no protection against a ghost that won't quit haunting her.

"Perhaps this message won't be so easy to wash away. I love you Hitomi."

She feels her throat contract and she struggles to breath, Mishime has been here. In this very room.

She imagines him writing the message on the wall, a manic grin of glee on his lips.

Her fear is overcome with disgust and the panic in her heart begins to rise.

She stumbles backwards over an overturned table and falls onto the cushion of her couch with an 'oof'.

Her hand grazes her phone when she reaches out to pull herself up and she stares at it for a good long while, her brow furrowing in thought through her tears.

Van, cracking open a fresh can of beer, settles himself sideways across the leather couch and crosses one foot over the other when the phone jumps into life behind his head on the side-cabinet.

He lets out a huff, glancing longingly at the alcohol in his hand before placing it beside the phone and picking up the electronic device.

"Hello."

"_Van?_"

"Hitomi? What's wrong?"

"_Could...um, could you come over? Just for a bit_."

Van's brow furrows at the desperation in Hitomi's voice, and he leans back against the arm of the couch.

"Of course, what's the address?-"

Hitomi has lost track of time when Van comes bursting into the hotel room. She could have been sitting there for 1 minute or 100 but it all seems a blur.

She looks up with tear-brimmed eyes and the urge to cry grows in her throat again.

Van takes one look around the room, at the smashed glass and overturned furniture, and reaches out for her silently, not finding words to say.

She doesn't hesitate to jump into his arms and bury her face in his chest, a cry tearing from her painfully.

"It was...him...Mishime...he was in here..." Her sentences are broken between her ragged breathing but eventually she is able to recount the story to Van, who listens with growing unease.

"Christ, Hitomi. You could have been in real danger. I'm so glad you called me."

His hand strokes the nape of her neck, trying to comfort her, before his gaze stumbles over the message on the wall.

An expletive stumbles from his lips and he holds Hitomi closer, as if trying to protect her from it.

"You're not staying here tonight, are you?"

Hitomi wipes away the tears on the back of her hand, pulling away from Van's arms with a sudden sense of modesty and grabs the bags she'd dropped; clearing them away from the door.

"I don't want to but I don't have a choice. I have nowhere to go; I can't go back home, he'll just follow me, and I can't keep moving to new hotels otherwise I'll constantly be looking over my shoulder. I'll call the cops on him, that's all."

Van tries not to look at her, his eyes settle on the message again and he feels an angry shiver run through him.

"The cops won't do anything; they're crooked as fuck unless there's something in it for them."

Hitomi's brow furrows, "But that's...that's totally immoral! What happens if you catch an intruder in your house?"

"Sweetheart, this is Gaea. You have free reign in handing out justice so long as no-one actually dies. People here have to look after themselves, rather than rely on the cops. I'd say calling them would be a waste of time."

"Then...what do I do? I can't stay here tonight and expect to ward him off myself if he comes back." Her frown steels into a line of determination and she marches out of the front room into her bedroom, marching back in with a duffel bag.

"I'll have to move back home. Even if Mishime follows me, at least I know I can turn to the law for protection."

Van's russet eyes follow her movement around the room, his mouth in a frown, his dark eyebrows knitted together.

"So you're just going to let him run you out of the city."

"I have no other choice." Her tone is bitter and Hitomi picks her way through the furniture, picking up photos and belongings from the debris.

"Get an apartment at the Winston. They refuse access to anybody who doesn't have a member's card; if you get a place there Mishime won't be able to get to you."

Hitomi pauses in packing her bag and looks at Van with a bemused expression.

"The Winston? If you're talking about the incredibly high-class, obscenely expensive apartments I drove past on the way into Gaea, you're way off the mark by suggesting I stay there. I couldn't afford that with all the money I make in a year."

She continues to stuff her bag with anything she found that was still intact, trying to distract herself.

Van exhales, a lead weight in his cold heart.

If he is perfectly honest, which is rare, he doesn't want Hitomi to leave. In the endless line of bimbo-broads who call themselves his conquests, Hitomi is a breath of fresh air and he knows he would miss her if she left.

His anger at Mishime builds inside him, just for making him liable to emotion towards a woman after years of keeping them out.

"Move in with me."

The words have found their way out of his throat before he can stop them and a cold feeling like despair grabs at him.

Hitomi stops again, her emerald eyes boring into auburn. A flicker of a smile works at the corner of her lips, a sign that she's not sure whether this is a joke or not, and whether she should laugh.

"Excuse me?"

Van shifts his weight from one foot to the other, trying to draw his gaze away from her. He's come this far, it would be rude not to just go ahead and repeat it.

"Move in with me. In my flat. You'll like it..."

She lets out a nervous laugh, breaking off the stare and averting her eyes elsewhere in the room. They rest on the message on the wall and she swallows, looking down at her half-packed bag.

"It's not a case of me liking it. I've known you for...what, a day? Not even that."

Van frowns again and it is almost a childish pout.

"And? Is there a schedule on how long I know you before I can help you out?"

Their eyes meet again across the debris in the room and Hitomi can't help the blush that floods her cheeks.

"No but...I don't want to burden you with all this."

Van breathes out a sigh of heavy relief and the tension in his shoulders evaporates. She seems to be persuaded in his favour and he eases a slow drawl of a smile onto his lips.

"If I considered it a burden, would I have offered?"

Hitomi watches him for a few more seconds before turning back to the open bag with a shy smile.

"Help me pack?"

Half an hour later, Hitomi is seated in the passenger seat of Van's two-seater mustang in silence; her bags stored away in the boot. She has been sitting here for a few minutes while Van is inside the hotel reception, explaining that she would no longer be staying there and that someone at the main desk had failed to stop an intruder destroying the room.

Hitomi feels another blush spark up along her cheekbones, Van has already been so good to her, offering his flat as her refuge, but he had insisted on going that extra yard for her.

She spots Van exiting the hotel from the corner of her eye and she bites her bottom lip, feeling the car heat up when he pulls open the door and slides into the front seat, the steering wheel between his jean-clad knees.

Van exhales a relieved sigh and turns to her with a devilish grin,

"All set? You haven't forgotten anything, have you?"

A shake of her head responds a no and Van coaxes his car into gear, reversing out of the parking lot and performing a neat u-turn in the middle of the street, once again forgetting his seatbelt.

Revving to encourage his car to run smoothly, Van steps on the accelerator and speeds down the tarmac, doing his usual 45mph in a 30mph zone. He notices Hitomi's hand clenched in the leather seat and, frowning, he drops his speed just slightly, taking the corners a little slower and taking a little more care.

"It's not far to my place, a few blocks away from where we met up yesterday."

"Okay."

She looks away from him, out of the window.

Van turns to her, distracted from the traffic in front of him as they slow into a queue of cars. Her whole posture screams discomfort and he feels another frown at the corner of his lips.

"Something the matter?"

Hitomi looks down at her hands, folded in her lap, and sucks her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I can't help but think I'm going to be nothing but trouble for you. You've done so much for me already and I'm going to outstay my welcome."

Van smiles at her worry and reaches across the car, settling his hand over hers in her lap while returning his eyes on the road.

"Trust me, okay? You can stay for as long as you need to, I really don't mind."

The atmosphere in the car becomes intense when they simultaneously look down at Van's hand on Hitomi's; his fingertips curve around her fingers and his palm feels hot against her skin. Silence descends upon them and Hitomi can already feel yet another blush spreading.

Van clears his throat and draws back his hand, running it through his dark hair before replacing it on the steering wheel and navigating out of the traffic jam. He catches a glimpse of himself in his rear-view mirror, and mentally scorns himself for losing his composure.

The apartment is cool when Van unlocks the front door and stands back to let Hitomi enter, wanting to see her expression.

Truth be told, he is damned proud of this place. Being the first apartment he's bought with his own money, as opposed to the family money, it represents his independence of the Fanel family. He remembers his first night here; inviting Allen, a good friend of his, round for drinks and movies and not sleeping until dawn the next day.

It brings a smile to his lips which is magnified when Hitomi steps inside and draws a gasp.

She takes in the lavish surroundings with a look of bewilderment; the probably very expensive leather couch, plasma widescreen television mounted on the wall above the fireplace, marble-countered kitchenette, it is all observed with respect and amazement.

Hitomi turns back to Van and half-smiles, not sure what to say.

Van just shrugs, ushering her inside and shutting the door behind him.

He has to laugh quietly to himself when he realizes Hitomi is the first girl he has brought home that has actually paid any attention to the very bachelor-esque penthouse rather than getting his clothes off as quickly as possible.

He tries to remember the name of the last girl he had brought home, when it strikes him that he had learnt not to invite them back to his place after the first few one-night stands resulted in him having to cook breakfast for them and usher them out of the door. Hitomi is must be different.

His attention is roused when Hitomi calls his name, watching him curiously.

"Van? You seemed a little out of it."

He closes the door behind him with a kick of his foot, unloading the bags in his hand onto the floor beside the couch.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking. Would you like to see the spare room now or are you hungry? I'll cook you something."

Hitomi smiles gently, settling herself on the leather couch.

"I am rather hungry, if you don't mind. I can give you a hand if you like?"

Van dismisses her offer and strides into the kitchenette, racking his brains for any recipe that is impossible to get wrong.

Receiving the cheese-on-toast with a grateful smile, Hitomi settles back down when Van takes the spot next to her, stretching out his long legs and resting his arm on the back of the couch, he watches her for a moment before digging out his cell phone.

"You don't mind if I have your cell number, do you? Seeing as the number at your hotel is useless now."

Merle hates using the elevator in her apartment block. Although the block is expensive, high-class and of superb quality, the elevator still makes her feel squeamish.

Maybe it's the small confines or the annoying tinny music or the fact that she had once got so drunk, she'd broken the elevator and been stuck in there overnight that aggravates her; whatever it is, Merle is glad to be rid of it when it reaches the penthouse and she bounds out.

Swinging the small bag of beautiful jewellery in one hand, she almost skips to the front door and, shaking the door handle aggressively, finds it unlocked. Marvellous, Van must be home!

Opening the door wide until it bounces on its hinges, Merle holds up her purchases with pride, a huge grin on her lips before her blue eyes catch an unfamiliar figure on the leather couch beside Van and her smile disintegrates.

Her eyes flick to Van, who stands to greet her innocently.

"Merle! I didn't expect you back so soon."

"I can see that. Obviously thought you had a few more hours to get your latest conquest out of the apartment before I got home. At least this shows that you don't care what you have to do, just so you can get that ego-boost."

Hitomi, mouth hanging open at the outburst, jumps up to explain, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment but Van gets in before her.

"Merle, you've got it wrong. This is a friend of mine; she'll be staying here for a while."

Merle, not bothering to even take a good look at the girl, storms into the kitchenette and abandons her new jewellery on the counter. She glares at Van again and fumes,

How dare he break their promise? She had honestly thought life was looking up, that they were number one in each other's lives again, but Van had fallen straight back into his fuck-and-chuck lifestyle.

She feels tears prick at the corners of her eyes and she wipes them away angrily.

"So you've taken to inviting them to stay a few days, have you? Got tired of having to chuck them out the next morning?"

Van, his dark eyebrows knitting together in anger, displays an expression that makes Merle stop in her tirade. His auburn eyes burn with anger and his mouth is set in a line to stop himself shouting.

"I said you've got it wrong, Merle. This is Hitomi; she needed a place to stay while she sorts out a new apartment. If you'd have controlled your temper instead of insulting Hitomi without knowing the full story, maybe you wouldn't have made an idiot of yourself."

Merle freezes, her blue eyes widening and turning to Hitomi. Her mouth gapes and her cheeks go pink until she flashes another giant grin to cover her shame.

"You're the girl I saw today! In the city centre?"

Hitomi attempts to reflect her sudden change in disposition but she can't shake the feeling of being ridiculed in front of Van.

"Yeah that was me. Nice to see you again. Like Van said, I'm only staying here until I can find a place of my own."

Merle has seemingly forgotten about her mistake seconds before as she flocks past Van to Hitomi, shaking her hand enthusiastically and giving her the usual inspection that everybody new receives.

"What a coincidence, huh? So sorry for mistaking you for one of Van's whores. I should have guessed as soon as I saw you; you're far too innocent looking. New to Gaea?"

Van clears his throat for attention and Merle quietens down, her eyes casting down to the floor in disgrace. She knows Van doesn't like it when she imposes on things she has no business in and she turns to him like a misbehaving puppy, her bottom lip trembles in anticipation for Van's wrath.

His resolve to give her a piece of his mind vanishes, however, when he sees her big blue eyes watering and her trembling pout; instead he settles for pointing in the direction of her bedroom, his expression proving he will not be disobeyed.

"Go to your room and...and think about what've you done."

She doesn't need telling twice and she scarpers, flashing an apologetic grin to Hitomi before disappearing.

Van's shoulders hang and he drags his feet back to the couch, reclaiming his place on the seat and patting the cushion beside him to draw Hitomi down.

"I'm so sorry about that, she gets the wrong end of the stick more often than not."

Hitomi awards him a reassuring smile and sits facing him, her emerald eyes sparkling with mischief.

"She seems...nice."

Van groans, fatigue evident in the set of his mouth.

"I think she's determined to turn the whole city against me."

"Oh. She seemed happy to see you when she came in..."

"She has her moments. Usually she's a good kid."

They settle into comfortable silence, the faint thump of Merle's music in the background. Hitomi can't help the smile spreading on her lips when she catches Van's profile out of the corner of her eyes. She honestly doubts any girl has ever been so lucky, to be taken in by such a perfect specimen as Van and treated as his equal not even a day after meeting him.

She swallows the girlish grin when Van turns to face her, instead distracting herself with looking around the room.

Her heart swells again at her luck and she finally turns to Van; her emerald catching his auburn; noticing the flicker of his pupils from her eyes to her lips and back, the tiny smile teasing the corner of his lips, the fire in his eyes...

Hitomi feels her cheeks heating up and she has to turn away again, facing the plasma screen of the television.

"Thank you for letting me stay, Van. I can't tell you how much this means to me, you helping me out. It's...it's more than you ever needed to do, to be honest."

"No problem, Hitomi. It's my pleasure to have you here."

When she turns to him, curious about his gravely tone, it is not to question him but to notice that his eyes aren't focused on her own, instead they are fixed rather hungrily on her lips and the fire that ignites in Van's eyes causes a burning shiver to run though her that Mishime had never induced.

She doesn't move an inch, like a mouse in clear view of a serpent, leaving a wide opportunity for Van to make his move. A snake smile smoothes onto his lips and he reaches for her, consequences be damned.

End of Chapter 3

Important points

This is a lot shorter than the last two, which I'm not sure is a good thing. Please review and let me know what you think.

I keep getting that feeling that now that it's updated, you're all going to be disappointed. I'm probably being paranoid and insecure but I can't help it, so please please review offering a couple things I could improve. It would really help me get over my complex.

Merle's changed a little, is she any better to cope with? I know someone said they really don't like her but I wanted to portray how she's coped living in a city like Gaea.


	4. In Which Van Makes A Mistake

I cannot emphasise how big my grin was when I read the reviews for the last chapter, it really boosted me to write another chapter. I sincerely hope you like this as much as the last, you sure deserve it.

PLUS! I assume most of you are expecting Hitomi to go along with what happened in the last chapter. Let me just say, I tried.

Gaea's Very Own Rogue

Chapter 4

Hitomi Kanzaki is a woman who often won't back down from what she believes in, even under pressure. She is wilful and determined enough to see any situation through to the end and this resolve was previously set on not letting another man get within an inch of her in any way other than being friendly; to keep her as far removed from the danger of another broken heart as possible.

This resolve crumbles to nothing more than a meaningless protest in the blink of an eye when Van moves towards her, slowly but with a pinpoint focus that sets her heart hammering.

A strange feeling bursts into her chest and throat when she feels his lips skim across hers, his palm graze her hip and she is incredibly tempted to just forget Mishime and let Van do as he will.

His lips press solidly against hers, the tip of his tongue hot against her lower lip and his other hand traces the side of her right breast down to the crook of her waist, pulling her hips closer to his.

Her eyes flutter shut and she melts against him, delighting him with a surprised gasp when a hand, flat against her back, crushes her breasts against his chest possessively.

Van, keeping his eyes partially open to watch her reaction, has to hold back a pleased smirk when Hitomi's cheek flush with colour and her fingertips curl over his shoulder.

His attention is averted however; when instead of pulling him closer, the hand on his shoulder pushes and Hitomi forces him away from her sharply.

The feeling in her heart caves in and is replaced with another, a burning sensation of anger. Though her mind is in a sort of haze at the moment, she remembers clearly telling Van that this is exactly what she came to Gaea to avoid and the anger grows.

Van's auburn eyes bore into her, his brows furrowed in confusion. Had she not enjoyed it? That little moan proved she had but her current expression suggests otherwise.

He reaches out a hand to place on her shoulder comfortingly, hoping to placate her but she brushes him off, standing from the couch with thunder in her eyes.

"Hitomi, what-"

"I told you I didn't want this." A sadness overcomes her and she tries to hide it with a glare. Is this the only reason Van had offered to let her stay? So he could try it on with her without the effort of setting dates?

Disappointment settles in the pit of her gut and she finds it hard to look at him.

Van finally stands, towering over her with his tall frame. He is close enough for her to feel the heat resonating from him and she takes a step back, uncomfortable with the sensations it instils in her.

"Hitomi, I don't understand. I'm not going to apologise for being attracted to you, if that's what you want."

"I want you to respect my decision! Don't you get it at all?" Her eyes fall to his lips, the corners pulled down in a frown. She can't help but remember the way it felt to have them against her own and she hates herself for it. Is she so fickle that not even a week after being cheated on and heartbroken by one man, she is having the life kissed out of her by another?

She casts her eyes down in shame and Van is at a loss. He is not entirely sure what he's done wrong and he'd rather be back on the couch, kissing Hitomi again rather than trying to figure this out.

He runs a hand through his hair in dejection and lets out a heavy sigh,

"I get that this Mishime hurt you, but you should get over him and move on. Yeah?" He offers her a reassuring smile, fully expecting her to agree and press herself against him but he is answered with a hurt expression.

"Get over him? He broke my heart, Van; you probably don't understand how that feels but I can't just 'move on' okay?" Tears find themselves gathering in Hitomi's eyes and she bites into her bottom lip. How could Van be so insensitive? She feels a stabbing pain in her heart and she has to turn away from Van completely to stop a choked sob from escaping her throat. This isn't fair, she had had such high expectations of Van being sweet and caring and compassionate but this reality hurts. He just wanted her to get over her situation so she would put out.

Hitomi feels Van move a step towards her, his palm an inch from her arm to turn her back to face him but she deflects his action with a dismissive shrug of her shoulder, running the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Just leave me alone, Van. Please."

And before he can reply, she clenches her aching jaw and walks away; gathering a jacket in her hands before she slips out the front door without another word.

Van can only watch her go, disbelief keeping him rooted to the spot. What on earth has just happened? He considers going after her to beg for forgiveness and sort this whole sudden mess out when a niggling voice that isn't quite his conscience starts up in the back of his mind.

He isn't to blame for this. He is just a red-blooded male who saw an opportunity and went for it, the whole of Gaea knows his reputation with attractive women so no-one could blame him for trying. In fact, the voice argues, you have no obligation to her. She's made it blatantly obvious that she's not interested in you. So go find someone who is.

Van chews on his bottom lip, his frustration stirring up in his gut. His brown eyes narrow on the front door of the apartment in thought; his guilt urges him to go after Hitomi while his unsatisfied libido encourages him to go out for the night and forget this confusing affair with liberal amounts of alcohol .

His hands curl around his leather jacket hesitantly, he should let her cool down, give her a little space before calling her to come back to the apartment. A beer or three couldn't hurt while he is waiting, surely.

And so he glances at the clock ticking away on the wall; early evening and the bars will be beginning to open. He grabs his keys and wallet before exiting the flat after Hitomi, his guilt like a ton-weight in his mind. Good old alcohol will sort this mess out. He just needs enough of it.

Not long later, Merle almost skips through to the front room to find herself alone in the flat. She stops, her mouth pulled down in a small frown, and her blue eyes flick around the room in question.

"Van?-" No answer, "Hitomi?" Again no answer and she shrugs her slim shoulders, brushing down her dress and flouncing into the kitchenette to make herself a milkshake.

She had heard yelling a little while ago, barely audible above the music from her sound system but it was there. Seems this Hitomi has finally seen the other side of Van Fanel.

Merle can't help the smile of triumph curling at her lips before a single knock at the front door of the apartment catches her attention.

Hitomi, her face cast down in modesty, doesn't dare look up when the door opens. All she knows is that someone is standing before her, watching her with a hawk-like gaze.

"I just came back to get my car keys, Van. I-"

"Van's not home."

Hitomi stops in her tracks and finally looks up, meeting the blue eyes of the adopted sister. A blush of embarrassment stains her cheeks but she regains the confidence in her expression.

"Oh. Well, I came back to get my car keys. I forgot them when I went out."

Merle merely stands back, allowing Hitomi to walk into the room. She passes judgement silently on Hitomi's wet eyelashes and red lips; signs that she'd been crying and shuts the door behind her without a word. An awkward quiet settles over them and Hitomi fumbles for something to say, just to ease the tension.

"Uh..."

"Your keys?"

Hitomi attempts a smile and grabs them from the arm of the couch where they had fallen from her jacket.

"Thanks. So...where is Van?"

The younger woman shrugs dismissively, padding across the room to her milkshake.

"No idea. He'd gone before I came out of my room."

Her blue eyes turn to Hitomi, her gaze burning through the other girl like she is glass and Hitomi wriggles under the attention.

"You two had a fight."

"We didn't. It was a misunderstanding, that's all."

"Oh please. I'm not an idiot, I heard someone yelling, and you've been crying. What'd he do?"

Hitomi's expression goes from defensive to angered in seconds and her brow furrows in consideration.

"He was just so insensitive. I specifically said 'no' more than once and he still thought I'd just lay on my back for him." It makes her blush to say it out loud but when she looks across to Merle, she notices the slight movement of her nodding.

"That's Van though."

"You don't understand, it's not like that."

Merle rolls her eyes in mock pity; it seems every girl who comes into contact with Van think they are special to him, and their experience is ultimately unique.

"Hitomi. Sweetie. I'm guessing that since you are new to Gaea, you're new to Van's reputation. He's little more than the male version of a slut.-" She shrugs her shoulders again at Hitomi's shocked expression "I'm not defending his actions but he's been like it for years. It's all he knows about relationships."

Hitomi's mouth gapes and she's not entirely sure what to say as a reasonable reply. "But...so is that what he intended to do with me? Invite me over, get me to...to sleep with him then say he changed his mind about me staying here?" Indignation burns in her throat and she glowers at Merle as a substitute for glowering at Van.

Merle pads back through the front room with her shake, sitting down on the couch and tucking her legs beneath her.

"No idea, Hitomi. He's never invited anyone to live with us before, so maybe he saw something in you that he particularly likes." She spares Hitomi a glance and immediately feels sorry for her; it isn't easy to have your perception of someone turned upside down for the worst. She pats the seat next to her comfortingly,

"Come sit down with me. I know it hurts to see the real Van, Hitomi. He's ruled by sex these days so much that he doesn't really see women for who they really are. Only what they can give him."

Hitomi sits numbly, her cheeks flushed.

"Van's not like that." She says it weakly, her voice betraying her severe doubt.

Merle just pats her knee gently before turning back to the television and flicking it on to a movie.

Hitomi can't focus on what is playing, Merle's words twisting themselves in her mind.

Is this the real Van? Had she played into his plan without knowing his true intentions?

The movie plays for an hour or two before the credits begin to roll, unnoticed by the pair who are too busy thinking about the recent conversation to pay it any heed.

A resounding bump against the front door catches their attention and Merle snaps her phone shut, casting a look to Hitomi in question. Hitomi shrugs in answer,

"Maybe you should open it."

"It could be a burglar..."

"I doubt it, it's probably just some drunk who's gotten lost."

And together they pad towards the door, Merle reaching for the handle hesitantly, pulling it inwards and stepping out of the way of what comes tumbling through.

It is in fact a drunk but he's not lost, and not alone.

All Merle and Hitomi can do is watch when Van lurches through the open door he'd been pinned against seconds earlier. His feet move automatically beneath him, stumbling back to catch himself and the female stranger attached to him follows.

Everything else is a drunk blur as Van's lips brutally claim the stranger's, one hand pressed into the small of her back and his fingers fisting in her blond hair.

He doesn't care who she is, doesn't notice the pairs of eyes on him, his only focus is on screwing his frustration of Hitomi out of his system.

His lips begin a trail down the woman's neck when he hears his name called out in a voice very familiar to him. He barely stops to register it when the woman's fingers dig into his shoulders, her nails leaving imprints through his jacket.

"Van!"

Finally he looks up, his brown eyes unable to focus. The alcohol that is flooding his system has seriously messed with him tonight and he can barely stand up without leaning on the figure next to him for support. She takes it as a sign of encouragement and presses herself against him.

Hitomi's heart flips and she has to look away as tears burn at the corners of her eyes.

So this is the real Van. This is the man she had spent the day with.

No.

She closes her eyes, this isn't the man she'd spent the day with. This man is entirely different. Van is entirely different. She feels an unreasonable hatred towards the pair standing before her and Merle at that moment, anger rushing throughout her in seconds.

Van's legs almost give way beneath him again and he lets the stranger prop him up while his eyes struggle to focus on the two blurred woman in the room with them.

One, the shorter one with the very pink hair, finally looks familiar and he gives a wavering grin.

"Hey Merley Merle. Didn't think you'd be-- Hiccup –home. No parties t'night?"

Merle doesn't answer him and he frowns, pushing himself away from the blond stranger beside him and shoving away her hands when she reaches for him.

"Y'gotta go, I got comp'ny."

The blond woman glances at the two other women in the room, giving a wane smile before pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket, with what Van assumes to be a cell number, and passes it to him with a seductive wink,

"Call me?"

Van considers this for a second before passing it back,

"Nah. Dun't worry 'bout it. M'not in th'mood anymore."

And he ushers her out of the flat, ignoring her protests before turning back to Hitomi and Merle.

"Evenin'." His black hair is a wild mess, covering his eyes and the stupid grin on his lips gives away his sheer intoxication.

Hitomi offers him a sneer of disdain before storming past him, their shoulders bumping, almost throwing him off balance.

He frowns furiously, calling after her as she is about to yank open the door and leave.

"Hey! 'Tomi! Where d'ya think y'goin'?"

She pauses for a second, refusing to look at him before she continues and is gone and his sobriety vanishes that little bit more in defeat.

Van turns back to Merle, his grin thoroughly dead, a 'women-eh?' expression on his face.

His younger sister can only look at him with a mixture of pity, shame and total disappointment. She'd actually fallen for his lines about putting each other first yet here she is, betrayed again. He'd chosen some floozy over her.

Her big blue eyes brim with tears and she runs the back of her over the bridge of her nose to hide them. She's not felt this strong an urge to cry in a long time and it is with a deadening feeling that she wonders if it is a consequence of knowing Van.

Following Hitomi's trail out of the apartment, she ignores Van's questions and drunk gibberish. He doesn't deserve to be listened to, or reasoned with right now and she sure isn't going to oblige him and stick around.

Van, exhaling an alcoholic sigh, struggles out of his jacket, leaving it in a heap on the floor and kicks off his boots, managing to trip over his own feet on the way to the couch.

Everything is a comfortably warm blur of colour and the alcohol in his blood keeps him from dwelling on the pained expressions he's just witnessed.

Laying horizontally against the leather of the settee, the drunk grin tries to settle itself on his lips again, this time not quite reaching his eyes.

His thoughts track back to the last few hours, back to the bar where he'd reached the drink that finally tipped him over the edge.

_Van rests his chin on his fist with a frustrated sigh, taking a deep swig of the whiskey in his glass. He's only been here an hour, throwing the drinks back without even tasting it and already he's been approached by one or two women; claiming they're acquaintances of his. _

_So far, he's been able to give them a cold, calculating look before turning away from them and forgetting they're there. _

_It's the way Hitomi looked at him that's making him continue to drink. _

_Her look of pure hatred that cut right through him, the tone of her voice, the sheer disgust that she'd shown. _

_His gut turns over and he considers whether drinking so much so quickly is healthy, but he soon forgets that too. Who even cares? Who would give a fuck if he keeled over right now from alcohol poisoning? _

_Apparently, he has said this out loud for a pair of eyes are watching him and a voice, somewhere to his right, strikes up._

_"I'd miss you, soldier."_

_Van spares the woman a mere glance; she's not unattractive, skinny, her face is caked in make-up and her blond hair shines with hairspray but Van isn't bothered right now. He's drunk, angry at the world, and needs a release from stupid emotions._

_As his guaranteed method dictates, he should go back with this stranger and forget about everything else for tonight. After all, one-night stands don't require emotion, something Van is all too pleased about, which is why he turns to the woman, taking his drink with him. _

_"M'not a soldier."_

_The woman laughs, her fingertip tracing the rim of her own glass. _

_"That right? Then what do you do?"_

_Van sulks for a second longer before obliging the stranger and delving into the conversation. He's not going to sit around here, thinking about Hitomi when she sure as hell isn't thinking about him._

_"What d'you want me to do?"_

_He is rewarded with another laugh, coated with seduction, but it doesn't boost his ego like it would normally. He can't care less at the moment whether this woman is interested in him or not. He would much rather be home, trying to get Hitomi to forgive him—_

_His anger flares at himself for thinking about her after what she did, she's the last person he wants to acknowledge right now._

_Abandoning his drink, he grabs the woman's wrist, poised over her glass, and drags her off the barstool, storming out of the bar with her in tow._

_She giggles again and stumbles to keep up. _

_"Where we goin', soldier?"_

_Van doesn't answer; instead, leading her to the parking lot, he unlocks his car after the third attempt to get the key into the lock, dropping into the front seat and waits impatiently for the woman to get in beside him._

_She struggles to catch her breath with an excited grin on her plastered lips, _

_"My name's J-"_

_"I don't care-" Van's expression sours "I don't wanna know y'name, and you don't need t'know mine. And this means nothing to me, 'kay? M'just in this for the fuck, and I won't call you afterwards." He can hear his words slurring but he can't care less. _

_The woman's expression sobers but the mischievous glint in her eye doesn't quite fade._

_"Alright, soldier. Your place?"_

_Van shakes his head, his anger clearing. He doesn't want to do this. This woman isn't Hitomi so he's not interested in her, but there's a fury in his gut that can only be released with a one-night stand. _

_The woman pouts, _

_"But my apartment's all the way on the other side of the city, it'd take us half an hour to get there. 'Sides, my flatmates don't like me bringing guys back."_

_Van mutters something like' whore' under his breath, before pulling out of the parking lot and navigating his way back home. _

_There's something about his apartment that makes his stomach churn._

_Something about Merle, and Hitomi, and not wanting either of them to see this woman..._

_It all blurs and Van has to keep his eyes on the road to stop himself crashing._

_Finally, after a couple of near-hits on the road, they stumble out of the car and wobble through the reception, staggering into an elevator. _

_Van barely has time to hit the button for his floor when the girl is on him, her mouth everywhere, her fingers pressing into his shoulders, her legs keeping him from moving._

_She's skinnier than Hitomi. Too skinny, like not being able to afford to eat is a regular occurrence for her, unlike Hitomi's athletic body which he's only managed to catch glimpses of._

_Her hair feels nasty between Van's fingers, like straw whereas Hitomi's glistens like honey..._

_He feels himself harden, not from the blond woman digging her nails into his skin, but from the thoughts of Hitomi surfacing in his mind. _

_He imagines Hitomi here now instead of this woman, imagines her creamy skin and her emerald eyes and the curves of her breasts beneath his fingers and—_

_When the doors of the elevator open, the woman pulls him from the carriage roughly_

_"C'mon, soldier. This your penthouse?"_

_A growl rips from him at her tone and he crushes her up against the door of his apartment, his hands pressing her shoulders into the wood, his hips pinning hers, their bodies flush against each other._

_How dare she not be Hitomi? Who is she to think her average kiss has any effect on him? She is too skinny, too confident, too average...too unlike Hitomi to merit his attention . _

_She somehow manages to slip out from beneath him, turn him around and use all of her body weight to keep his back pressed against the apartment door._

_That's when the door opens behind them and they go stumbling through._

Hitomi stirs the straw through her milkshake with a sigh, the anger in her heart still as raw now as it was over an hour ago when she had stormed from the apartment, Merle catching up with her moments later.

Neither of them had wanted to return to Van and his temper so they'd sought solace wandering the streets of Gaea, stopping every now and then to sit down.

For the majority, they walk in silence, side by side, neither wanting to bring up the topic of Van and the woman he'd brought home until the imposing quiet begins to fray Merle's nerves more than she can stand.

"I don't know what he thought he was doing, Hitomi. He'd promised me he wouldn't do that stuff any more."

Hitomi remains silent, her eyes fixed on the ground passing beneath her feet. She feels a jolt of pain run through her whenever she bears to think about Van, so she refuses to do so.

Merle has to hurry to keep up with her when a couple walking in the opposite direction come between them.

Her expression is pained and she wrings her wrist in thought.

"Maybe...maybe he was too drunk to stop himself. You know how it is, one thing led to another in some bar."

Again she receives no reply and despair wells up inside her. She needs Hitomi to say something, just to reassure her that things aren't beyond repair.

Tears form in the corners of her eyes and she treads the pavement solemnly,

"Please say something, Hitomi. It's going to be hell in the apartment if you two aren't talking."

Hitomi finally replies, her emerald eyes betraying her intentions,

"About that..."

Merle glances at her, a brow furrowed in question. Realisation dawns in her eyes and she stops in the street, making the few people in the street with them tut and walk around her.

"You're thinking of moving out already, aren't you."

It isn't a question so much as a statement and Hitomi casts her eyes back down in shame.

"Like you said, it'll be hell in the apartment if me and Van aren't speaking. And he's the one who invited me to stay so I think my welcome has already worn out."

"But...you haven't even stayed overnight yet! If he invited you to stay in the first place, he wouldn't ask you to leave over something like this."

Hitomi puts a hand on Merle's elbow to get her to start walking again,

"You've already forgiven him? You don't sound like you think it's a big deal."

Merle snorts, pulling her arm away from Hitomi.

"Of course I haven't forgiven him. What he did is disgusting, but I told you before, that's what he considers a relationship. In a place like Gaea, you can't really expect anything else."

The older girl throws her drink away, dusting off her t-shirt and watches as the streets empty of late-night shoppers.

"We should be heading back. It's getting really dark."

Merle agrees and slowly, reluctantly, they turn and head back towards the apartment, finding their way through the darkened streets until the apartment building looms into view.

"Hitomi?"

"Yes, Merle?"

"Let's spend the day out tomorrow, just the two of us. It'll keep us away from Van for a bit longer."

The look that Hitomi receives, of pleading, makes it impossible for her to refuse.

"Of course we can."

And Merle replies with a grateful smile, her eyes betraying her sadness at Van's actions,

"Please stay, Hitomi. Give it another chance, eh?"

Once they reach the penthouse of the apartment building, Merle eases open the front door, poking her head around the gap to make sure the coast is clear and Van is not on a rampage.

Sure enough, he is asleep on the couch; curled up on his side like a dog, his black hair sticking out at all angles and falling over his face, his back rising and falling with each breath like a child.

Merle leads Hitomi in silently, they're eyes solidly on Van's sleeping form; they wonder simultaneously how this perfect image of innocence and candour could possibly belong to the same man who has broken so many hearts. They can't imagine this being the same mad who had fallen into the apartment, intoxicated with a woman wrapped around him like a snug jumper.

When Merle pads softly through to her own room, hiding her discomfort, Hitomi lags behind; she can't take her eyes off Van's sleeping form and she feels tears forming again.

It shouldn't be fair that just by sleeping, he instils emotions in her that make her want to just forgive him and kiss him again.

Her eyes wander over the thick eyelashes resting on tanned cheekbones, the boyish posture and parted lips; she has to turn away before she remembers how it felt to have those lips against hers, and how it felt to see those lips kissing someone else.

She can tolerate Van being angry with her, she can even stomach the knowledge that Van doesn't give much thought to a relationship past sex but what she cannot bear is the fact that now she's warned him to back off, she may never have Van's lips on hers again.

Hitomi pads through to the spare room, certain that it will be a restless night.

End of Chapter 4

Well there you have it, chapter 4. You must all hate Van now so I'll beg you not to just until he can redeem himself. He's trying to hang on the promiscuous lifestyle he's grown used to since he doesn't know any other way.

I don't think I caught any errors in this chapter, but if I have please excuse me and notify me if you like.


	5. Hitomi's Good Fortune

First off, I'm an awful person for not updating in such a long time, it's been far longer than I'd ever expected but I have a valid reason. I got locked out of my laptop, and it took a long time to get back into it, then I get coming up against obstacles and it just slowed me down.

Secondly, this is unbeta-ed which is really bad of me, as I promised myself I'd get someone to look over my work to check it flows and sounds right.

There shouldn't be any spelling or grammatical errors but if you see a sentence which sounds forced or something, it's because I've been in a funk.

I'd actually completed this a couple days ago but my laptop decided to shut down and not save it, so I'd had to do everything I'd changed all over again.

I'm nervous, but I hope you enjoy this. I'll have the sixth chapter up soon, depending on the amount of feedback I get.

**Of Cities And Southern Comfort**

**Chapter 5**

All the light in the large front room seems to be trying to cram through Van's eyes at once when he finally opens them; the room lurches, his head pounds to the rhythm of his own pulse, his gut churns to the beat and his mouth tastes like the bottom of an ashtray. Knowing it's not worth the effort of getting up; Van doesn't hesitate to close his eyes again and valiantly ignores it while sleep reclaims him.

* * *

Out of the apartment and half an hour down the busy road, Hitomi and Merle are enjoying the beautiful weather in the city.

It's another sweltering day in Gaea and the girls are finding it increasingly hard to carry the shopping bags without having a break, the humid air is making it difficult to breath and a throbbing headache is beginning at Hitomi's temple, so it is with great relief that Merle leads her into the shade of a café.

Inside, the room is already packed with customers, old men with newspapers, young mothers with gurgling babies, couples sharing a big breakfast and it brings a smile to Hitomi's lips to see the cheery moods the weather puts people in.

Settling in the queue beside Merle, a companionable silence falls over them and she finds herself wondering how Van is feeling.

The fact of the matter is, she figures herself to be mature enough to forget Van's indiscretion; his actions are his own and she has no right to judge what he does when it has nothing to do with her.

It is purely trivial, and mainly her own fault, that she had ever let her hopes get so high.

She'll just move on and forget everything that happened between Van and herself, _still _she thinks, _what he did last night was just trashy- _

Inching forward as each customer orders, pays and leaves, Merle and Hitomi eventually choose two ice coffees to go before squeezing themselves past the tables again and out onto the street.

Merle takes a long pull of her drink, shifting the bags onto one arm before turning to Hitomi with a knowing look, seeming to read her mind.

"You've already forgiven him. Haven't you."

It is said innocently enough, but Hitomi can't help feeling the twinge of guilt.

"Uh," she pauses for time "I'm not really in any place to forgive him since technically, he's a grown man and can go what he wants…"

She pointedly avoids Merle's eyes, walking forward so Merle has to follow.

It still hurts to think of whatever had been between her and Van is now dead and buried; what girl isn't a little bruised after finding her dream guy, straight from a fairytale, isn't anywhere near as perfect as she'd thought, and isn't as interested as she'd hoped.

She clears her throat awkwardly, licking the foam of her ice coffee from her lips.

"Have _you _forgiven him?"

"It won't matter one way or the other whether I forgive him or not. It's happened before, it'll happen again."

Her tone was matter-of-fact but Hitomi could hear a tiny crack in her voice, which she masked by sipping again at her drink.

There is a stiffness to her stance and expression that suggests discomfort and Hitomi looks down at her feet,

"I...uh. I guess this means I'll be moving out, huh."

Merle raises a dyed pink eyebrow, taking her time to sip at her drink before commenting.

"Oh?"

"Van offered to let me stay because…y'know, but things haven't worked out."

Merle barks a laugh around her coffee and gives Hitomi a look of amused pity,

"Hitomi, do you know how many girls other than us Van has let stay in his flat for more than one night?

"No idea-"

"None. Absolutely none, crude as it sounds he makes sure he either gets invited back to their place, or they're gone by morning. The flat is Van's private little world that, until you came along, only Allen and I were allowed to see on a regular basis. The fact that he invited to live with us means he's after a whole lot more than just wanting a quick fuck."

Hitomi opens her mouth to reply, either to disregard Merle's claim or explain Van's decision but other than a curious expression, she's not sure how to respond.

Not entirely believing Merle's reasoning, she returns her attentions to her coffee.

"Come to the company ball with me, tonight."

It's Merle who poses the question and Hitomi nearly coughs up her drink, having to take a moment to clear her throat.

"Excuse me? It's a little short notice, Merle."

The younger girl shrugs her shoulders,

"Unless you're busy, I don't see a problem. I don't want to face the evening alone tonight," She looks away for a second, "Please?"

"I don't know, Merle. It's probably inconvenient. I don't have anything to wear-"

"Oh don't," Merle chastises, "It's not inconvenient for anybody, least of all you. You said it yourself; you don't know anybody so here's your chance to socialise. Meet some nice men, eh?"

She wiggles her eyebrows comically, and Hitomi's defence crumbles.

"Oh, fine. But I don't have a dress or anything, so I hope you have a plan."

Merle laughs throatily and drains her cup,

"Naturally. There're plenty of outfitters in this city who'll set you up in a couple hours. We'll find something in no time."

Hitomi has the sneaking suspicion that this trip was planned partly to persuade her to attend but she keeps quiet, glad for the distraction.

* * *

Van's stomach has eventually agreed not to threaten him with throwing up if he sits upright, and he soon has his eyes open without the world turning on its side.

His back is seizing up from sleeping on the couch but he forces himself to stand, catching himself on the side table before he ends up horizontal again.

He hates feeling this hung-over in the morning; every so often he'll get drunk enough on something that doesn't agree with his bloodstream and it makes him pay tenfold.

Shrugging off his creased shirt with a pained groan, he stumbles bare-chested to his bedroom; where only a cold shower and a cup of coffee can properly wake him.

He almost falls asleep again under the cold spray but after half an hour, he's dressed and wandering through to the kitchenette, sparing a thought as to where Merle and Hitomi have gone.

He melts with relief, spotting the full filter of coffee, steaming away in its pot, waiting for him. He thanks any deity who might be looking out for him before pouring himself a generous cupful, his senses beginning to clear.

Back in the main room, legs sprawled out in front of him on the leather couch, he finally notices the note propped up against the telephone.

Squinting at it, at first it is hard to make out but he recognises Merle's rushed handwriting.

"_Hitomi and I have gone into the city centre. Don't know when we'll be back, you have the details of the party to sort out by this evening. I'll leave it all up to you. Don't call my cell."_

Van struggles to understand the tone of the note; Merle's notes are usually signed with X's, or nicknames, anything to bring a small smile to his face but this time there's nothing. It's almost like, through the note, he can tell Merle is pissed off.

A bad feeling settles in his chest and he takes another sip of coffee, replacing the note on the table.

He'll have to confront Merle with this; if he's done something to upset her –somewhere in his mind, he recalls a blond stranger- then he'll have to do something about it before the company ball. The rumours will fly if anyone suspects things aren't right in the Fanel family.

He dreads having to speak to her about this; she always manages to say the exact thing that'll cut him to the quick and he melts back into the chair, aching. It'll all have to wait until after the details of the ball have been sorted.

* * *

Afternoon has just arrived when Merle and Hitomi step through the front door of the apartment with smiles on their faces and bags bulging with purchases.

The smiles fall, however, when they see Van; sitting in the large room with a forlorn expression on his face.

He looks up; meeting Merle's eyes and the room is thick with tension.

Hitomi sneaks past as quietly as she can to give the pair some privacy.

Van feels like shit. It dawned on him today, halfway through a phone conversation with Allen about tonight's party. His friend had mentioned some blond he'd bumped into earlier in the week;

"_This is the one I told you about before, anyway so she comes straight up to me, can't get any closer right, and says 'we meet again, soldier'. I just had to laugh, how corny was that line!"_

Van had felt a jolt, something in his memory flickered to life and in his head, he saw a scene; he's at a bar, already pretty drunk, some blond woman calls him soldier.

That's when he realises, _remembers _what has pissed Merle off. Christ, he's an idiot.

His attention is brought back to the room and he watches Merle with dark brown eyes, marble-dark and full of puppy-like remorse.

"You're angry with me."

His younger sister watches him, her top lip sneering.

"No shit, Sherlock."

Van expels the breath in his lungs, raking a hand through his black hair.

"What I did last night-"

"What you did last night was the highlight of your stupid, bloody reputation."

He flinches, feeling like a little kid being scolded.

"Merle, I'm sorry-"

"No. I don't want to hear it, you always say that! You always tell me you're sorry, that it won't happen again. And it _always _happens again! I've had enough, Van. It's going to end badly, and I don't think you understand that."

"I-"

He's interrupted again when Merle storms to the kitchenette and slams her bags on the counter.

"Do you have any fucking idea how it felt for me to watch some stranger salivate over my brother? Did you think at all that maybe Hitomi and I didn't need to see that?"

"Merle, I don't know what else I can say to make you believe I'm sorry."

He has paled beneath his tan, exhaustion draining his colour.

Her anger melts out of her, she feels so tired she wants to cry and when she looks at her brother, she can see her pain reflected in his eyes.

"You really hurt me, Van. Ever since Mom and Dad…since we've been on our own, I thought we'd look out for each other. You promised me we would, but we've just been growing apart."

Van really does feel like shit.

"We're not growing apart Merle! We're…" Desperately searching for the right word, he looks absolutely helpless "It's still you and me, I just- Sometimes I do things without thinking, and I know being drunk isn't an excuse but- Christ, I don't know what to say to you, Merle. I'm a bastard, I know that, and I'm going to change."

He looks at her, deploringly. His eyes are almost soulfully black and she is reminded of that little boy who could get away with absolutely anything, just by turning those eyes on you and trembling that full lower lip.

"You have to believe me, Merle. I never meant for that to happen. One thing led to another, and I was just so frustrated."

"Just goes to show how much I can trust you, huh." She knows she's being cruel, deliberately making this difficult for him and when he focuses on her, his posture showing the extent of his distress, she feels like a bitch.

His eyebrows knit together, pained, and his black hair falls over his face, curtaining himself from the situation. When he speaks, his voice cracks with grief.

"Don't do this, Merle. Please. I made a mistake, like my whole life isn't made of them already. You know you'll always be my first priority but last night there wasn't a single thought in my head. I wasn't thinking, and it was so stupid but I'm sorry. Forgive me-" His voice cracks again, "Please?"

Oh god, he's doing it again. His puppy-dog look and the resignation in his voice crumble away Merle's anger. Her heart is melting and she's never wanted to cry so much in her life. Neither of them deserve this, they were made into what they are by circumstances out of their control and they've been paying for it ever since.

She walks over to him silently, wrapping her arms tightly around his slim waist and burying her face in his chest.

"From now on, okay? We'll work on this together."

Van audibly breaths a huge sigh of relief, his knees feel weak with gratitude and love for her and he crushes her against him, burying his nose in her hair.

"We will. We'll make it work."

They stand like that for a few minutes until Merle breaks the silence,

"Are you going to say anything to Hitomi?"

Pressing her cheek against his chest, she feels his breath pause as he strokes down her hair.

"Should I say anything?"

"I think you'd better. She was going to start looking for apartments outside of the city, to give you back your space."

"Because of what I did last night?" He frowned deeply, confused. "I didn't think she'd be _that _bothered by it."

Merle loosens her grip around Van's waist, taking a small step back.

"It's not that, I know what happened before that. When you kissed her."

Oh yeah, how could he forget? It nearly brings a smile to his lips before he recalls how Hitomi had reacted to him kissing the life out of her.

"Ah. So I'd better apologise?"

Merle nods and gives him a comforting squeeze,

"But for God's sake, be truthful. Don't think she's going to fall for you charming your way out of it, she'll know if your being sincere."

He steels himself, he dearly wants things between him and Hitomi to be how they were the first day they met, it had been hopeful and promising then.

"Don't think you could tell me _why_ she acted like she did?"

"If you don't know, I won't be the one to tell you. Go say sorry, Van."

* * *

Hitomi is hanging up her new dress in the closet when the knock at the door interrupts her.

Perhaps it's Merle, come to seek solace after her bust-up with Van…

She opens the door and takes a quick breath when instead of a shorter girl standing before her, she is confronted with the solid chest of a man.

She looks up, catching the auburn eyes of Van and her heart stupidly flips.

He smiles that disarming smile of his, flashing a row of pearly whites and a canine tooth.

"I didn't think you'd open the door to me."

He grins smoothly, hoping his suavity hides his shame.

Hitomi breathes out sharply through her nose, giving him a disdainful look, unimpressed.

"I thought it was Merle, actually."

She stands back to open the door wider, silently inviting him in.

She may have convinced herself that what she'd hoped they had was over and done with, but that didn't stop her feeling humiliated for falling so deeply for it.

Van moves into the room, feeling his confidence building back up. He can do this, countless times he's used his guile and magnetism to get in and out of situations, he feels a small, charming smile ease onto his lips and he stays close to Hitomi,

"I wanted to talk to you about last night."

All he has to do is apologise, compliment her a little, fake complete confidence and she'd be putty in his hands in no time, despite the protestation of his conscience.

Hitomi, however, shows no sign of being won-over. In fact, there is a crook to her eyebrow, and a gleam in her eye, that shows intention beneath her expression.

"Oh? What part of it?"

Van falters,

"I--...what?"

Hitomi closes the door behind her and shrugs her slim shoulders nonchalantly, like she hasn't been torturing herself over this.

"Well, there's the part where you tried to make a move on me when you know I didn't want to, or the little display you had with that woman."

His cheeks flush, his eyes narrow and he feels himself lose the upper hand. His wits are momentarily scattered and his composure slips.

"I-...Uh. That woman didn't matter. I don't remember much about her, if I bothered to find anything out in the first place."

There is a petulant defence to his tone, as if somehow he has been wronged.

Hitomi doesn't reply, looking down at her feet distractedly.

Van clears his throat, forcing himself to stop looking hard-done-by.

"But I apologise. I shouldn't have brought that girl back here. I didn't mean to lead you on."

Again, the only reply he receives is silence, Hitomi obviously not taking in his words.

He lets out a sigh of exasperation and raises his eyes skyward, defeated.

"Look, Hitomi." His tone leaves no option to be disobeyed.

She looks up at the command, both eyebrows raised in question.

He ruffles the back of his hair with a hand, frustrated and doesn't notice the effect simple action has on the girl opposite him.

Van lets his hand drop back to his side,

"I want to say that when I kissed you, it was just spur-of-the-moment. I want to say that I hadn't been thinking about it the first time I met you and that I haven't been thinking about it since."

He doesn't dare make eye contact, for fear of putting a stop to the train of words rolling from his lips.

He is unprepared for the sudden memory that comes flashing back to him, of Hitomi's lips pressed firmly against his own.

He swallows, moving past the tug in his chest.

"But that would be lying. I _had_been thinking about it, since I first saw you in the bar. When I noticed you, I didn't want to just use you and get you out of my life. I thought there was something there. I wanted to try a proper relationship with you."

He can't help the attempt of a wry smile, trying to humour his own foolishness.

"That kiss was sort of to gauge your reaction."

He looks up finally, his grin disappearing at the sight of Hitomi's wide eyes and raised eyebrows, he frowns slightly, angrily.

"Don't worry. You've made it crystal clear that you're not interested. I won't try anything again. I just want you to know that I didn't invite you to stay in the flat just because I wanted a fuck buddy-"

Hitomi flinches at the casual use of the term,

Van continues,

"I really wanted to help you out. I don't want things to be awkward between us if you still want to stay here. Friends?"

She is utterly speechless. Her mouth opens to protest that she _is_interested but the words stick in her throat.

The time has passed. If she tells him she's changed her mind now, it'll raise further questions; is she ready for another relationship? How far is she willing to go after knowing this man for a few days? If she tries this with Van, even though she's protested and refused, does that make her the worst kind of tease?

The silence grows, weighing upon them both, before she casts her face down, overcome.

"Okay. Friends."

The air becomes thick and Hitomi can almost taste the tension.

Van waits for another second; wanting a more passionate response but knowing he isn't going to get one.

He releases his breath in a tired huff and turns, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

This is why he prefers to skip the emotional attachment; a month or two of a relationship isn't worth the confusion and doubt and guessing that must be endured in the first place.

Hitomi starts when the door clicks shut, her mind reeling through the ways the conversation could have gone.

She should have said something different, confessed to her feelings, done anything but just accept the situation.

In that moment she loathes her own hesitation and cannot stop the taunting of her own mind for her cowardice.

* * *

Afternoon is drawing on, hours later, when Van returns to the apartment, tired and aching and in a bad mood.

He has just spent the better part of the afternoon at a grand hotel; location of tonight's company ball, finalising details.

After leaving the food preparation and decoration to a selection of hired help, he'd finally been driven home, faced with the task of getting ready to go back.

Merle is seated on the couch, listening to music blasted through headphones when he enters, and he lets himself collapse next to her, pulling out one of the ear-pierces to get her attention.

She scowls at him but turns the music off,

"I was wondering where you'd gone. Party all ready to go?"

He grunts in reply, he just wants to sleep for the rest of the day and forget this whole nonsense of annual celebrations.

"I don't want to go tonight, Merle. You can go without me,"

She laughs affectionately and leans against him, laying her cheek on his shoulder.

"You have to go, it's all about the company's success. And as the big boss, you can't not make an appearance." Inside, she feels guilty. Would it be so bad for him to miss just one year?

He always works so hard for the company, some people outside Escaflowne Corp. assume Van is just the figurehead; someone who looks good but doesn't make the big decisions and never lifts a finger.

It angers her but she knows the truth; how from the start Van has given his all, how despite his young age he has surpassed his superiors through determination and willpower. He deserved more than anyone to have a little down-time-

"Van. If you really don't want to go, you don't have to. I'll make excuses for you,"

He pats her knee, shifting in the seat to lay his cheek against the top of his sister's head.

"It's okay, I wasn't being totally serious."

"If you're sure. Your tuxedo came back from the drycleaners."

She feels him nod and they fall into companionable silence, before he speaks up again.

"I should have invited Hitomi, even if she said no I could have tried."

Merle sucks her bottom lip between her teeth,

"Why do you want her to come?"

"Because. I don't want her to be left here alone, thinking what's happened has alienated her from us. And with that ex- of hers still about, I'd want to know she's safe."

Merle hides her face in his neck, hiding the curious look,

"I invited her today, she said yes."

He looks down at her gratefully, his eyes dark.

"Yeah?-"

The door to the spare room opens quietly and Hitomi steps out, her dress trailing behind her.

"Merle? I need a hand..."

She doesn't speak to Van, doesn't even look at him and Merle jumps up to ease the atmosphere.

"Of course, I'll be right there."

When Hitomi returns to her room in silence, Merle pats Van's knee comfortingly,

"It'll turn out great, trust me."

* * *

Van Fanel cannot find his cummerbund.

The bloody thing isn't even necessary; he doesn't need anything defining his waist, Merle had picked out a white shirt snug enough to show off his toned abdomen while looking professional so he is incredibly tempted to just forget it and sling on his jacket.

Having just stepped out of the shower, he has only just started the process of getting dressed; pants unfastened, white shirt dangling open-

Casting another look around his room half-heartedly, he eventually pads across the hallway to the spare room where he'd last seen Merle.

Knocking once, he waits for a second before easing open the door and stepping into the room.

Two pairs of eyes shoot up to meet his and he notices why Hitomi has frozen.

Where Merle has not finished tying the ribbons on the back of her dress, the front gapes forward, revealing her strapless push-up bra and a generous amount of chest.

She is about to open her mouth to shout when Merle beats her to it,

"Van! Do you mind?"

She steps forward to put herself between him and Hitomi with her arms spread.

Hitomi fusses with her dress, trying to keep it up enough to afford her some modesty while Merle deals with Van.

"What's the matter?"

Van tries his hardest to focus, a difficult feat as the words must form themselves around the image of a damn-near naked Hitomi.

"Uh...what? Oh, the sash thing, I don't know where it is."

Her sister thinks for a minute before putting a finger to her chin,

"I think I saw it on the back of the chair in the front room. Blue, right?"

Van nods wordlessly, clearly trying to see through Merle's head into the room.

Merle reaches up, putting her hands on his shoulders to turn him around and giving him a little shove.

"Well then, go get it."

"Okay…" Van's hardly paying attention, and allows himself to be directed away, too distracted to notice Merle has already turned back into the room and shut him out.

"Breathe out..."

Hitomi does so and Merle ties the rest of the ribbons on the back of the dress until she can join the clasp at the top. Hitomi breathes in again and puts her palm on her ribcage, adjusting to the fit.

"Thanks, Merle. How does it look?"

She turns to face the younger girl, tucking her wrists against her hips.

Merle grins, holding up a thumb approvingly.

"It's lovely. The colour suits you,"

The dress is a forest green, a shimmering material which sets off her eyes nicely.

Falling to her toes, its shape flatters her figure and gives her curves a bit of a boost.

Hitomi can't help but smile and twist, making the skirt curl around her legs.

Merle watches her for a second with a nostalgic gleam in her eye; the last time she'd had the chance to dress up like this was with Varie, the memory makes tears spring into her eyes, wetting her eyelashes but Hitomi doesn't notice and she just brushes them away.

* * *

In his own room, Van's having a little difficulty getting dressed.

The blue cummerbund is proving difficult to put on, especially since Van's mind is on other things; it won't stop dwelling on that little extra bit of Hitomi he'd glimpsed and random images spring themselves upon him at the most inopportune moments.

Settling back on the bed, another image of Hitomi and him, limbs entwined, flushed with exertion—

He feels himself hardening again and he groans, putting his face in his hands.

She's not even in the room and she's affecting him. He clears his throat, standing up, determined to at least finish getting ready to go out.

In the front room, Merle is perched on the edge of the leather couch, trying to not crease her electric blue knee-length dress. Her hair hangs down to her shoulders in loose curls, making her look even younger than she is.

Hitomi sits beside her, holding a compact mirror in front of her while she applies a lip gloss with her fingertip.

The silence is broken when Van finally comes out of his room, looking nothing less than dashing in his expensive suit.

While he adjusts the royal blue cummerbund, he looks up with a small smile on his face, ready to usher the girls to his car.

He pauses, however, when his eyes connect to Hitomi's.

She looks gorgeous, radiant and he feels a tug in his chest when she blushes and looks away.

Merle smiles a little bitterly,

"I'll wait for you in the car."

Even though she's ecstatic that Van might have finally found someone he likes out of bed, it still means she'll have competition for his affections. Being his closest friend for all of her life guarantees she won't just give up on their bond without a little resistance.

Van barely hears her as his focus is solely on Hitomi, on how the forest green dress accentuates the crook of her waist and the defiant sparkle in her eyes makes her look innocent and mischievous at the same time.

He approaches her, committing her image to memory before holding out his hand wordlessly.

Hitomi smiles gently, nervously, and places her hand in his, letting him lead her out of the apartment. When they reach Van's second car, a four-seater dodge, Merle leans against the door in the backseat; staring out of the window, ignoring their suppressed smiles and fleeting glances.

* * *

The Grand Hotel is beautifully lit and its main hall already thronging with employees and their guests by the time Van pulls his car up to the front steps, helping Merle and Hitomi out before handing the keys to a valet.

One hand goes to Merle's waist, keeping her close, while the other takes Hitomi's hand; not too intimate but claiming her company for his own, if only for the evening.

He leads the pair through the reception, past the rookie journalist fumbling with his camera, to the main hall where the guests are waiting for their host.

Van hopes to blend into the crowd before the eager member of staff notices him and announces his arrival, so that the crowd will applaud and surge towards him once he reaches them.

It's happened every year since Van took over the company, and every year the crowd surges forward to shake his hand, gushing gratitude upon him; it's tedious enough without the praise.

Arrogant as it sounds, but Escaflowne Corp. is something of a lifesaver to many of he employees; if you weren't born into a family of money or reputation, there aren't many chances to make a living so jobs here provide a significant income for many people.

"Ladies and gentleman!"

Van cringes, he's been spotted and a sea of faces turns towards him and the announcer.

"Van Fanel, our most esteemed host for this evening and guests!"

As they descend the staircase, a round of applause starts up; excited, enthusiastic. In one spot in the crowd, a group of female employees and wives wave and blow kisses, giggling like schoolgirls.

Just as he'd predicted, as soon as they reach the bottom of the steps, the mass of bodies move towards them and Merle takes the opportunity to slip away towards the bar; random people start taking his hand to shake it, conspicuously dropping names in time for a promotion and in the case of some daring women, slipping phone numbers written on napkins in lipstick into his pockets.

Hitomi braves it all with an uneasy smile, they barely have enough room to breath and when she takes a step back, wanting to move away from the crowd, Van squeezes her hand, their fingers interlocking, and parts the crowd with a single, impatient look before pulling her through the gap close behind him.

She hears him let out a breath of relief when the guests disperse, returning to their tables, the dance floor or the bar.

He looks as calm and collected as always, a slight smile on his lips and a gleam in his eyes that has her heart thumping.

He doesn't seem to notice her little step away from him when he places a hand lightly on the small of her back, leaning down so his mouth is by her ear and his breath in on her neck.

"Would you like something to drink?"

* * *

The bartender instantly perks up when the pair approach him; Hitomi sits herself down in front of him, Van taking the seat next to her. Few people have dared to go near the alcohol so far for fear of going overboard and doing something foolish in front of their superiors.

The bartender starts polishing the bar counter in front of them with a rag, smiling broadly.

"Evening folks. What'll it be?"

Merle takes another sip of her drink, sitting demurely at the bar. She keeps her eyes down in boredom; these events are usually so tedious, full of men who are too old, lecherous or conscientious to be of any fun and women who are too pompous, high maintenance or impressionable to talk to.

She looks up when an employee approaches Van at the other end of the bar, tapping him on the shoulder and asking, Merle presumes, to speak with him in private.

Van whispers something in Hitomi's ear and stands, putting a hand on the employee's shoulder to steer him away.

Hitomi sits there for a few seconds before Merle slips into the seat beside her, dragging her drink across the bar counter.

"Hey."

Hitomi turns to look at her, smiling, her green eyes catching the lights.

"Hello, Merle." She takes a sip of her drink and swivels in her chair, facing the crowd.

Merle notices her trying to find Van and downs her drink in one gulp.

"So how're you and Van getting along?"

Hitomi's bright eyes fix on her, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Fine, thank you."

"Just fine?"

Hitomi casts her eyes back to the crowd, watching the employees gossip and dance and let their inhibitions go.

"Just fine. Why do you ask?"

Her companion abandons her empty glass, standing from the bar and straightens her dress delicately.

"Come on, I can't let you sit here by yourself. Van'll come back eventually but I'll show you around in the meantime. There are some lovely young men I'd like you to meet."

Hitomi opens her mouth to protest but Merle grabs her wrist, directing her through the grand hall without a word.

Eventually, they find themselves at the tables in an adjoining room; a buffet reaching across the length of one wall with men picking at it like scavengers.

Merle lets go of Hitomi, standing on her tiptoes to look around the room. She wobbles on her heels for a second before she lets out a pleased noise and ushers Hitomi through the maze of tables to a group of young men, gathered around a table heaving with alcoholic drinks.

There must be over a dozen men gathered here; some sitting down at the table, most standing, talking between themselves and throwing back drinks.

They are all suited in tuxedos, collars turned up and top buttons undone casually, sleeves rolled to the elbow. They seem to be the most confident of the party-goers, paying little attention to the rest of the employees.

They welcome Merle with jovial greetings and offered drinks, which she declines before pulling Hitomi forward and presenting her to the group. The chattering quietens as the focus in the group turns to the new girl; a dozen pairs of eyes watch her; some curious, others appreciative – one blue pair watches her with a steady gaze and she fidgets under the attention.

Merle puts a hand on her shoulder, grinning widely.

"Guys, this is Hitomi. She's staying with us at the flat."

A chorus of 'hey, Hitomi' echoes back at the two women and Hitomi smiles sheepishly, wishing Van was back to ease the tension.

The young men shuffle obediently out of the way when someone moves behind them.

He stands from his chair with sharp eyes, silent but a gentle smile on his face. His skin is paler than Van's, and he is taller, but the stark contrast is the long blond hair that would look feminine on any other man.

Hitomi is momentarily overcome with girlish admiration, imagining this man as the knight in shining armour every girl dreams about.

His black suit sets off his pale skin magnificently, emphasising just how tall he is. The red flourish of a cummerbund adds colour to the ensemble and defines his lean waist--

Hitomi is shaken out of her daydream when Merle takes a step forward towards him, a huge grin on her face.

"Allen."

Allen moves his eyes to her, recognition lighting his features.

"Merle! I haven't seen you in too long. How are you doing?"

He places his palms on her upper arms, holding her at arms length to get a good look at her.

While Merle answers, Allen's eyes continue to flick back to Hitomi's, their gaze connecting regularly enough to bring a blush to the girl's face.

The rest of the young men mutter jealously between themselves and wander back to their drinks, knowing that while Allen has his sights set on a girl, they won't get a look in.

Merle, remembering her manners, holds a hand out to Hitomi in an introduction.

"Allen, this is Hitomi. She's a friend of mine and Van's."

Allen turns his full attention onto Hitomi casually, his blue eyes sparkling.

"It's lovely to meet you, Hitomi."

His voice is deep but smooth, a steady pace to his words that suggests each syllable is individually considered.

He takes her hand and pulls it towards him, placing a kiss on her knuckles, his eyes not once breaking away from hers. Hitomi blushes again, harder, not at all sure how to respond. A curtsy? Shake the hand she's holding?

She is saved from having to decide when Merle abandons them, seeing another man waving at her from across the tables.Allen watches her go before returning her gaze to Hitomi, looking down at her with a curious expression.

"So you're a friend of Merle's?"

Hitomi moves with him when he gently directs her through to the main hall,

"Yeah, I met Van beforehand, and I met her through him. I only came tonight really as a favour for her." She tries to look nonchalant, feeling herself redden at the thought of trying to impress Allen.

He smiles charmingly and places his hand on the small of her back,

"Well I'm glad you did come. Maybe the evening will be interesting after all."

Almost immediately, after being led through the crowd blindly, Hitomi finds herself tucked away in a corner, Allen mere inches away and leaning down to hear her over the music from the dance floor.

"--and then I ended up living with them."

Allen nods, an intent expression on his handsome face.

"How easy is it, living with a pig-headed brute like Van?"

Hitomi looks up at him, trying to find the reason behind his humoured tone. Sure enough, there is a sparkle of mischief in his blue eyes and a flicker of a smile on his lips.

"You know him personally?"

"I do. We're friends outside of work; we've known each other for a while."

"I've only known him for a couple days-"

* * *

Van re-enters the main hall, already mentally exhausted. His employee had had a few issues that he didn't think could wait until work the next day but had eventually been placated and sent on his way, meaning Van could return to Hitomi.

Upon entering the crowded hall, he casts a look around; seeing Hitomi's seat by the bar is now empty -

Disappointment settles in his gut and he continues to look for her, wanting her company to lighten his evening.

A flash of blond captures his attention in the far corner of the room and he spots Allen almost instantly, separating a young woman from the rest of the party.

Van is about to move on when he recognises the honey-blond hair over Allen's shoulder, and the emerald green eyes sparkling with delight.

Dread replaces the disappointment in his stomach and he has to suppress the urge to rush over and put some distance between them.

Allen is almost the exact opposite of Van; smooth where he is rough, gentle where he is aggressive -

The tall, blond man cannot get enough of wooing a young woman, getting his thrills from making them fall in love with him whereas Van will bypass the seducing if he can and head straight to the sex.

He would usually be confident that Allen would not steal anyone he is interested in but a peculiar sense of territory overcomes him and he does not want anyone wooing Hitomi except himself.

Instead of rushing over, Van ambles; not wanting to seem too keen in the eyes of his employees and wreck his aloof air.

Allen's back is turned to him as he gets closer, masking Hitomi from the rest of the congregation.

When he approaches, Hitomi is the first to notice; her eyes sparkling and a smile gracing her lips. She looks back at Allen who has finally noticed another presence standing behind him.

The taller man turns, his blue eyes falling on Van before a huge grin spreads on his lips and he slaps a hand on Van's shoulder.

"Van! Good to see you again. Hitomi here was just telling me about meeting you."

Van casts Hitomi a reassuring look, his brown eyes warm,

"Only the good things, I hope." He winks rougishly and Hitomi looks down with a smile.

Allen snakes an arm around Hitomi's shoulders, obviously attempting to mark his territory in front of his best friend.

"Yeah, Merle introduced her as your friend?" The meaning beneath the words were crystal clear to Van,

_Just friends?_

He can feel Hitomi looking at him, can feel her eyes on his face but his expression remains neutral.

"That's right."

Allen tenses beside Hitomi, his smug expression making way for amused and curious.Like Van, he can clearly hear the meaning behind the words.

_That's further than you're ever going to get._

_ ...And remove that arm, buddy boy._

He laughs suddenly, his arm around Hitomi tightening at the implication. He sweeps his blond hair out of his eyes with a flick of his fingers and speaks in a carefree tone.

"Finders keepers, Van."

Hitomi bristles at the words but remains quiet, feeling a little like a prized rack of meat being haggled over. She bites her tongue and focuses on Van, willing him to say anything to defend her.

His black hair falls over his eyes as a smirk sneaks onto his lips, a competitive gleam in his eyes.

"In that case, _Allen_, I found her."

This ends Allen's laughing in an instant, a simple grin still on his lips. His blue eyes watch Van intently, their egos battling each other like physical forces.

"I meant seducers keepers." The corner of his mouth flickers, trying to hide a smirk and Van glowers, not wanting Hitomi to fall under the charms on the man opposite him.

He notices the small, almost imperceptible tensing of Hitomi's shoulders under Allen's arm and senses his opportunity to extract her from Allen's attentions.

"Behave, Allen. Come on, Hitomi."

He holds out a hand for her, and she takes it willingly, slipping out from under Allen's arm with an apologetic smile. Allen watches them leave, his mouth pulled into a frown.

Usually Van couldn't care less whether Allen encroaches on women he is messing around with, but he is being strangely defensive of this new one...

A tiny, amused grin finds itself once again on his lips when he sees Van's hand inch its way around Hitomi's hip, keeping her close.

Hitomi crosses her arms over her chest in a huff when Van leads her away, remaining silent.

How dare they talk about her like she's a prize to be fought over? Her evening has been more or less ruined by their lack of respect and she cannot help the petulant sulking pout that balances on her lips.

Van turns to her once they reach the solitude of the corridors outside of the hall, giving them a little more privacy.

His eyes are dark, his black hair falling over his face like a mask.

"I'm sorry about that, it was disrespectful. I just didn't want Allen to get any ideas."

He doesn't look at her, his face turned away and his eyes cast to the floor. Being a head taller than her means Van can easily refuse to look at her, though whether this is in shame or ignorance Hitomi doesn't know.

She stares at Van's tanned clavicle, visible over the undone top button of his shirt and without thinking, smoothes down a crease in the lapel of his jacket.

"It's okay. It's not a big deal."

She doesn't want to argue with Van again, not tonight. The truce he had initiated earlier had put her mind at ease, at least partially and she isn't about to throw that away by picking fights.

Van looks down at her hand on the lapel with a strange expression on his face,

"Merle said you were going to leave the apartment."

Hitomi averts her gaze, watching her fingertip move over the expensive fabric of Van's jacket.

"I was thinking about it. But Merle doesn't want me to go."

She goes to draw her hand away when Van's comes up to cover it, his fingertips moving over her nails.

"I don't want you to go either." He finally looks at her, his eyes scanning her face for her reaction. The corners of his lips turn down in a frown and he looks away again, letting his hair shield him from the rest of the world.

She doesn't want anything to do with him, a voice in his head reminds him, she's made it clear enough and he's only making it harder by not letting it go once and for all.

He lets go of her hand with a tiny, almost sad smile,

"Sorry. I didn't mean that as anything-"

Hitomi dismisses his apology with a wave of her hand, even though he'd promised her he wouldn't try anything to show he is interested, she can't help but interpret his actions to prove otherwise.

A silence falls over them then, neither able to look the other in the eyes. Van takes this as a sign that Hitomi feels uncomfortable with his close proximity and clears his throat, undoing another button on his shirt to ease the humidity.

"I've got guests to tend to-"

He is interrupted when Merle calls his name and skips over, every step a little swayed as an indication to her having spent time at the bar.

Van watches her make her way over to them, his expression neutral.

"Merle. I thought you were staying with the guys."

If Van didn't know her as well as he did, he would have assumed she was just relaxed but he spots all her signs of being tipsy, her look of misplaced focus and her dismissive shrug.

"I was. But Hitomi disappeared so I came to look for her. Surprise, surprise! She's with you."

She means this as a joke but Van does not see it as such; it is one thing for him to be scorned by the only girl he's actually been interested in for a long time, it is quite another for his little sister to taunt him with it.

His wounded pride rears, furious with himself that he can't just accept Hitomi's refusal and move the fuck on.

"Behave. I'll find you later on tonight."

He marches away, his jaw set in a determined line. It pains him to be so cold to either of them but he feels such a fool being ruled by emotions after perfecting the art of being a heartless bastard.

He hears Merle voice her concerns about his behaviour but Hitomi does not reply.

He wants to go back to not caring and just fucking around; it seems so much easier to say what he wants and do who he wants rather than trying to persuade someone to give him a chance.

Merle turns back to Hitomi with an eyebrow raised in question.

"What was that about?"

Hitomi opens her mouth to speak but finds she doesn't know what to say. What is the reason for Van's sudden change in mood?

It can't be her fault again, surely. This time she hadn't done a thing to provoke him.

"I have absolutely no idea."

She waves a hand in front of her face, her cheeks reddening a little.

"Is there a balcony or something round here? I need fresh air away from this party."

Merle points past Hitomi,

"We'll sit on the front steps. I'll meet you out there, I'm going to get us some more drinks."

* * *

The fresh air is an immense relief against Hitomi's flushed skin when she settles on the stone steps, leaning back against a column. She draws her knees up as far as the dress allows and breathes out deeply; welcoming the cool temperature of the stone.

It's not fair what Van does to her, making her feel so good one minute then saying something to ruin her mood the next.

Why couldn't he go back to being the guy she'd met that first night? The one who'd sat with her in the park, talking and charming for hours? Instead of this complicated, confusing man who can't decide what he wants from her.

A shiver runs through her and she looks around, the valet who had been standing at the curb a few minutes ago hadn't returned from parking a car, leaving her alone in the dark street.

She checks left and right, no-one is around except her and she draws her arms tightly around herself, paranoid.

Where was Merle?

She considers getting up to check but doesn't want to get lost, if Merle comes out to find her and she's gone, she'll only worry her.

_Eeeeeech_

Hitomi can't stop the little scream when a tin can rolls out of the alley next to the grand hotel, scuttling across the asphalt to a stop near the steps.

She laughs, nervously, feeling her heart pound.

It's just being alone like this that's put her on edge and she silently prays Merle would hurry up.

The cold gets to her again, a slight wind picking up so combined with the loud pounding of her heart in her ears, she doesn't notice the rustling of clothes behind her.

Nor does she notice a gloved hand, inching towards her neck, silent as it passes her right ear.

Panic seizes her insides when the gloved hand clamps down on her mouth, covering her nose so she can't breathe in to scream.

An arm wraps around her waist, dragging her back against a body and off the steps,

Hitomi tries kicking out but they're too close and she can't get any purchase on the floor.

_I'm going to be killed or raped or mugged…_

Her head's feeling light where she can't breathe properly, her limbs heavy and tears spill over the corners of her eyes when she's pressed up against the wall of the alley, covered by the bulk of a man, too strong to fight off.

* * *

Van has abandoned his jacket somewhere, preferring to wander round in hi white shirt, sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

He's been looking for Hitomi, but no-one's seen her; Allen offered to help look but Van declined, knowing Allen is more likely to keep her to himself if he finds her first.

To be honest, Van is getting a little worried. Hitomi doesn't know where she is in the city, would have no idea how to get home, and hasn't a clue who is safe to drive her back.

Someone bumps into him from behind and he turns, looking down at Merle who's peering up at him, a drink in each hand.

"Everything okay, Van?"

Van ruffles his black hair (causing one or two women in his vicinity to sigh, dreamily) and looks around the room again, over Merle's head.

"I'm looking for Hitomi, I want to apologise for earlier."

His little sister screws up her lips in thought, will Hitomi mind if she reveals where she is? Screw it…

"She needed some fresh air. Outside on the front steps,"

Her brother looks relieved and smiles gratefully, swiping a drink from her hand.

"Give me 10 minutes alone with her; you can come join us after that."

Before Merle can reply, he's off.

* * *

The outside steps are empty when Van reaches them, the only person around is the valet, waiting by the curb. With a frown turning the corners of his lips, he approaches the other man and taps him on the shoulder,

"Have you seen a girl? Wearing a green dress…she's supposed to be out here."

The valet thinks for a minute,

"Young woman, very pretty? She was here before, but was gone when I came back. Could've gone back inside."

Van thanks him and returns to the steps, settling himself on the cold stone next to the column. Digging his cell phone from his pocket, he dials Merle's number.

"Merle? She's not here."

"_Are you sure? She should be on the front steps."_

"Well I'm here right now, and she's not with me."

"_Alright, well…I'll have another look in here. I'm sure she just slipped by me or something."_

* * *

Hitomi's crying freely but silently now; tears spilling down her cheeks and her chests heaving, she can't see her attacker because of the shadows but he's tall, stocky with a nasty smirk on his lips.

"I've missed you, baby."

He moves his palm from her mouth, replacing it with his own mouth in a rough kiss, shoving his tongue against her teeth.

He has her wrists pinned to the wall with one hand, smothering her body with his own, his knee between her thighs to stop her kicking. His free hand moves across her shoulder, up her bare neck, cupping her jaw and she cries against his lips, terrified.

"_Merle? She's not here."_

Hitomi's heart pounds harder, is that Van's voice? He has to be near by! She starts squirming faster, gagging against the stranger's tongue.

His hand moves from her jaw to her throat, squeezing it when he pulls back so she can't inhale.

"Sweetie. It's me, your boyfriend."

He doesn't speak any louder than a whisper, so even she can barely hear it but recognition dawns on her.

Her emerald eyes widen, her head begins to feel faint again and he leans back just an inch so the light from a streetlamp catches his feature.

_Mishime…_

_Oh god…Van, help me._

**End of Chapter 5**

So what did you think? Sorry if the layout's a bit whacked, I haven't used in a while and it's all a bit confusing.

Please review, otherwise I'll assume everyone's gone off this story and I'll be too sad to continue.

Suggestions/tips would be very helpful, thanks ever so much.

Hope it was worth the wait…


	6. New Places, Old Faces

Chapter 6

6 months?? Are you sure!? I feel really bad now, for leaving this so long. But things kept piling up, then I'd have no motivation, etc etc until…Jeez, 6 months is a long time. I'm really really sorry, guys.

I think this is my least favourite chapter though. Even though the reviews for the last chapter were absolutely encouraging, I keep thinking 'this is the chapter people are going to hate' so **if you're disappointed with this chapter, please let me know why so I can improve.**

Of Cities And Southern Comfort 

Chapter 6

Mishime's hand is firm when he tugs at the ribbons at her back, his palm over her mouth keeping her head against the brick wall.

It hurts him to see her crying, he hates to see her in pain but at the same time, it causes a thrill of pleasure to tug at him that outweighs his conscience.

"You're so scared, Hitomi. Why are you so scared?"

His whispering is harsh, deep in his throat so only she can hear and the look in her eyes brings another smile to his lips.

"Y'know," He tries slipping the dress off her shoulders but she hunches them, still resisting. "For every step you've taken since I phoned you in the park, I've been ten steps behind. _Watching you_. I watched you get in the car with that guy this evening, I followed you. Watched you walk into the hotel; you looked perfect and I waited."

_God _he wants her, so badly.

"Let's get back together. I've missed you."

Her chest is heaving with panic and he runs a palm over her dress, dipping his fingers below the plunging neckline.

He feels himself growing hard, and he lets out a tiny groan before dropping his other hand from her mouth, bunching the fabric of the dress in his fingers, dragging it up over her knees.

Hitomi doesn't lose a second and sucks in a deep breath before screaming at the top of her lungs,

"Van!!"

Mishime, in his shocked outrage, backhands her sharply; her head snaps to one side and she coughs, spitting a drop of blood from her lip.

"You_ bitch_!"

Van is on his feet in seconds, adrenaline coursing thickly through his veins; that was Hitomi's voice and his vision clouds, his mind spinning, his body moving on instinct.

The alleyway is dark and his shadow obscures the already unrecognisable figure pressing Hitomi against a wall, his hand around her throat.

In the same instant, Van is already on him; his fist in the guy's gut, fingers digging bruises around his windpipe. They're both knocked away from Hitomi and she collapses to her knees, gasping.

She's still crying but huge, wracking sobs shake her whole body and Van's mind is trying to concentrate on both things at once; the man beneath him bucks blindly and Hitomi covers her face with her hands. Van's distracted for a second but that's all it takes to lose the upper hand.

The attacker jerks up and head-butts him between the eyes, stars flash across his vision and the guy bolts; scrabbling down the alley and clawing over the mesh fence at the end before Van can even see straight.

Mishime doesn't stop running. Cardboard boxes and trashcans are scattered in his path as he forces himself onward, his throat aching and his gut churning where the fist had landed. Terror urges him to keep running, away from the scene; horrified at what he'd very nearly done and he imagines he can hear the footsteps pumping behind him, the dark figure of Hitomi's protector closing in-

Van can feel the small amount of alcohol he'd had in the ball crashing around in his stomach and the world lurches for a second before his head clears and the pain where he'd been hit dulls to an ache.

Rising to his feet, he approaches Hitomi, still kneeling on the floor, slowly; careful not to startle her.

"'Tomi?" His voice cracks and he kneels beside her, not caring how filthy the floor of the alleyway is.

His hand lays on her shoulder, fingertips moving across the skin comfortingly but Hitomi flinches, whimpering.

Her green eyes open and turn to him, recognition dawning slowly on her face.

"Oh god, Van-"

Huge tears spill over her lashes again, wetting her cheeks and she crashes into him, her arms moving around his waist tightly.

Van holds her to him, protectively, burying his face in the crook of her neck. This isn't fair; after what she's been through with her ex- scaring the hell out of her, it's beyond wrong for her to have to endure this too.

His hand strokes her hair, his mouth speaking words of comfort against her ear.

"It was him."

Hitomi's voice is muffled against Van's shoulder but it makes his blood run cold.

"It was _who_?"

"Mi-…Mishime. He sai-…he said he's been fo-following me."

Her words are disjointed by hiccups, and she buries her face in his shoulder, fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt.

Mishime. That _bastard._

Van feels a fury burn in his chest and his hand curls into a fist, he should have gone after him, killed him with his bare hands-

But Hitomi is pressed against him, hiding her face and he can't bear to leave her.

"Hitomi, you're safe." He stands, lifting her to her feet. He has to get her home, get h er somewhere familiar and he draws one of her hands away from her face, holding it tightly in his own and leads her from the alley to the curb.

It takes the valet a few minutes to fetch Van's car, all the while Hitomi's sobbing beside him, breaking his heart.

When he guides her around the car to the passenger seat, sitting her down gently, she doesn't want to let go of his hand and it costs him all of his effort to pull away to take the driving seat.

The drive home is hell.

Van's knuckles are white where his fingers grip the steering wheel; his forearms ache and the muscles in his shoulders are tensed. He should relax, but god_damn_it he can't get the image out of his head; Hitomi pressed against the wall, struggling against the hand on her throat, her green eyes wide with terror.

It causes a frisson of vehemence to run through him and he has to remind himself that unless he's concentrating, he's going to cause a collision.

Forcing a hand away from the steering wheel, he rummages for his cell phone and flicks it open, nearly cracking its hinge.

He dials Merle's number without taking his eyes off the road and presses the phone to his ear, trying to keep the fury from his tone.

Hitomi winces every time they pass a streetlamp, the light flashing over her tired eyes making the ache in her head so much worse. Van's presence in the car is overwhelming, the air feels thick between them and she hasn't a clue what to say to break the silence so she settles back into the seat, her trembling hands clasped together in her lap.

She flinches again when Van's voice fills the car, his tone strained.

"Merle, I'm taking Hitomi home. Find Allen, ask him to handle the party without me and give you a lift home."

She doesn't catch Merle's reply but she jumps when Van's snaps the phone shut. Her nerves are frayed and he's noticed.

Keeping one hand on the wheel, navigating casually through the late-night traffic, he reaches across the space between them, laying his hand over hers, the pad of his thumb moving over her knuckles.

She gulps, trying to breath past her thumping heart. Van's hand is a comforting weight over hers, but he brushes a fresh graze and she stiffens; remembering the weight of Mishime pinning her to the wall.

She jerks her hands out from underneath Van's, a cold sweat mingling with her tears across her face.

She can't look at him, and doesn't see his brow furrow, his brown eyes dart to her in concern and hurt as he replaces his hand on the wheel.

"Hitomi?"

She doesn't reply, and another heavy silence falls over them until they arrive home.

**--**

**The** apartment is cool when Van unlocks the door and the shadows scatter when he flicks the light switch, causing Hitomi to throw a hand over her eyes.

In the light, the bruises developing on her skin; around her wrists and patching on her shoulders, seem all the more visible and the gritty grazes on her shoulder blades gleam on her pale skin.

Van's hand slips down, meeting hers and he strides through the front room, pulling her along firmly behind, not speaking a word.

Perched on the edge of the huge bath with Van kneeling on the tiles in front of her, Hitomi wants nothing more than to get out of the dress and fall asleep in a big bed.

She's never been so exhausted; she's too tired to cry anymore and it's a struggle to keep her eyes open, the only thing keeping her upright is her hand on Van's shoulder.

With a cotton bud between his fingers, Van dabs antiseptic on a graze along Hitomi's forearm, trying his hardest to be incredibly tender. He turns her arm, exposing the underside and repeats the process, touching the cotton lightly over a thin scrape.

Where Hitomi's other hand is on his shoulder, keeping her stable, he can smell the daub of perfume on the inside of her wrist and being this close has his heart pumping faster.

He glances up at her face, it's obvious she's shattered but she can't sleep until she's been patched up.

"Does anything else hurt?"

Hitomi screws up her eyes then opens them, swallowing.

"My jaw. He hit me."

His chest warms with fury again when he looks up at her from his position on the floor. Her jaw looks red, a slight bruise darkening the curve of bone and a spot of blood sits over the split in her lip.

Her eyes are averted, she can't look at him and it makes her seem all the more vulnerable.

Van pushes himself up, towering over Hitomi before taking her with him; hooking an arm under hers and holding it around her ribcage to keep her steady.

Turning her chin with a finger, he scrutinises the mark under the light of the bathroom, feeling her flinch when he tests the bruise with the pad of his thumb.

"I'll put something cold on it-"

She turns her head to face him, watching his expression silently. He's being so nice, tenderness masking the sadness in his features.

She opens her mouth to speak but he stops her, dabbing at her bottom lip with a wet cotton swab, cleaning away the blood.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Her voice cracks, raw from crying.

"For not being there sooner. For letting this happen to you."

His eyes are dark, unreadable and his mouth is set in a firm line.

"Van, it's not your fault."

He moves the swab over her lip again, revealing the tiny cut beneath. Her lips are red from crying and Van runs the pad of his thumb over the bottom one, feeling her expelled breath on his skin.

"That doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I wanted to kill him. I probably would have if he hadn't escaped."

"No, you wouldn't have." She wants to step back to read his expression but she keeps still.

"I would have done it for you."

The door to the flat bursts open with a crash and Merle storms in, kicking it shut behind her.

A quick glance around the room offers no Van or Hitomi, and the worry that's already in her mind flares again.

Van had sounded _pissed _on the phone, angrier than she'd heard in a long time and it had barely taken a second's thought before she'd hailed down a taxi to rush her back home.

She reaches into her purse for her cell phone, wanting to call Allen to help her find Van when the door to the main bathroom opens and Van steps out silently, followed by Hitomi.

The first thing Merle notices is the bruising, the mottled blue against pale skin and she raises a pink eyebrow, looking to Van for answers.

He doesn't offer an explanation, instead remaining silent as he leads Hitomi over to the couch and directs her to sit while he makes everyone coffee.

Merle's eyes are stuck on Hitomi, taking in her submissive posture and pained movements before she follows Van into the kitchenette, leaning against the counter beside the coffee-maker.

"Van, what happened."

Her voice is quiet, tactful but the question still manages to make Van's body language stiffen; anger clearly visible in the tension of his shoulders.

"Mishime found her waiting outside the hotel, he's been dealt with."

_Mishime? _Merle wonders for a moment before the face of Hitomi's ex- pops into her mind.

"Dealt with how?"

The look Van sends her puts a stop to the need for an answer. She doesn't need to know; the bastard was dealt with and that's all that matters.

As Van sorts out the coffee, making his own black as night and sweet as sin, Merle watches him carefully, her sharp eyes catching the little tell-tales signs that her brother considers Mishime unfinished business.

"I got a call from Balgus today." Her tone is conversational but she keeps it at a minimum volume, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere.

Van makes a noise to show he's listening but keeps his eyes on the brewing coffee, occasionally lifting his gaze to check on Hitomi.

"It's the old house," Merle continues, trying to keep her tone neutral. It's a big deal, Balgus calling them. Theirs is a sparce relationship, each content with hearing from the other only when something important has come up, and she captures Van's full attention.

"What's happened?" The coffee, taking its time, is still brewing in front of him and the fresh smell settles some nerves.

"Estate agents and prospective buyers keeping calling in, wanting to know whether the house will be on the market any time soon."

For the pair of the, this is a huge deal. Being forced to lose so much of their family so young elevated the house to almost possessive status and it's home, even when it's uninhabited. The Fanel Estate is synonymous with the Fanel Family and the sentimental value means Van and Merle are very protective of it.

"Balgus can handle it. He knows we aren't going to sell."

Merle shakes her head dismissively.

"He said he can't handle it. Since he doesn't actually own the place, they won't take no for an answer, so he's passing the buck to you."

Van drags his hand over his face, exhaling a tired breath. It really isn't the best time to make important decisions, he'd rather be back with Hitomi, comforting her, but he steels himself.

His eyes connect with Merle's for a long moment, volumes of words going unspoken.

He looks away again, pouring the coffee into mugs.

"I might move back in. It deserves to have someone other than the maintenance guys around."

Merle is silent for a moment, eyebrows raised.

"That's a big commitment, Van. There's a lot of…emotional baggage involved."

"I know. But I've been in this flat long enough, it's time for a change."

"What'll you tell Hitomi?" Merle's question is hushed and she shoots a look over to the girl furtively.

Van's jaw clenches and he picks up two of the cups, thinking.

"I don't know. The truth, I suppose."

Hitomi rests back into the couch and feels herself relax a tiny bit more. She's safe here; Mishime has no way of getting in, let alone knowing where she is-

"_No. You tell her, this is your flat."_

She can hear Merle whispering and she turns her head towards them just enough to hear more clearly.

"_Can't you do it? I'd mess it up…"_

Van's own voice is barely above a whisper but Hitomi manages to catch it from her side of the room,

"_Just do it. Quick and easy—"_

When Van turns and walks towards her, coffee mugs forgotten in the kitchenette, she feigns incredible interest in her fingernails until he sits beside her,

"Hitomi?"

She looks up, her eyebrows furrowed with worry. It sounds like she's finally outstayed her welcome and she feels a new wave of tears threatening behind her eyes.

She doesn't _want _to leave. It's so nice here, with Van and Merle; having somewhere safe to stay where its occupants are ready to defend her…Would he really ask her to go right now, after she was just attacked in an alley?

She feels particularly fragile at the moment but she makes eye-contact, albeit waveringly.

"Yes, Van?"

He looks down and smoothes out a crease in his pants, unable to meet her eye.

"This flat is getting too small for the three of us, so I was wondering…"

_This is it_, she thinks miserably: _this is where I have to pretend it's not a problem, return home by the end of the week and maybe never see you and Merle again. Mishime could follow me, I'll have to face him on my own…I'll have to face him without you._

"—I was wondering if you'd like to move with me and Merle into someplace bigger?"

He makes eye contact with her now, his expression earnest and hopeful. When he realises how serious he looks, he smiles suavely but it drops when he notices Hitomi's expression.

She looks like she's about to burst into tears again…

"Oh shit. It's too soon…I should've given you some time—"

"Van! I thought you were kicking me out!"

She's gone from stunned to delirious in less than three seconds and he's not prepared for when she throws her arms around his neck, pressing herself on him to hug him tightly.

"God Van, I seriously thought you'd grown tired of me!"

She laughs into his neck, exhilarated and it's all he can do to control himself and put an arm around her back.

"Not possible."

For a few seconds, everything else in the world- the room, Mishime, the tension between them- disappears and it's just Van and Hitomi; his mouth near her neck, her chest shaking with laughter, not an inch between them…

Until she moves back, out of his arms, and sobers up, easing a bruise on her wrist. Her green eyes shine with gratitude but her expression is serious, willing.

"Have you got anywhere in mind?"

Over the next few minutes, once Merle has joined them, Van tells her about the Fanel Estate; about the house that was home to the Fanel family for many years, about it's seclusion from the rest of Gaea; tucked away in the hills with the most magnificent view of the city.

Hitomi's heart swells at their expressions; the reminiscing glances they shoot each other, the quiet enthusiasm behind Van's smirk and the flushed colour across Merle's cheeks. She only just about stops another flood of tears when she remembers how close she thought she'd come to losing this, missing out on discovering these two people,

"Plus," Van continues, "By the end of the first week there, I'll have sorted out the security perimeter so there'll be no way Mishime can get to you."

His thoughtfulness at her safety puts a tired smile on her lips, and she leans forward, shocking him by placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Van."

Merle takes her hand and urges her up, with a grin almost too big for her mouth,

"I want to pack _now_!"

And they're gone, Hitomi casting one last look back over her shoulder before they disappear into their rooms, leaving Van to colourfully curse himself and the voice in his head that's telling him to go after her.

**--**

**The **next couple of days pass without event.

Hitomi and Merle are left to their own devices to browse around town, pack their belongings in new suitcases and phone friends to update them on current situations. They haven't seen Van since the evening he'd broken the news that they'd be moving; he leaves for work in the morning before they wake, and returns home at night long after they're asleep.

Merle is in town now, spending time with friends, leaving Hitomi in the apartment on her own, with Yukari on the other end of the phone.

"_Report him to the cops, 'Tomi, please! What that absolute-" _Yukari's almost too angry to speak and she splutters, "_Bastard did is a crime!"_

"The cops won't do anything, apparently they're all crooked in this city."

"_Who told you that?"_

"Van did." Her bruises have pretty much faded now, the cut on her lip completely healed. Her shoulder is still sore, when she'd hit the brick wall but other than that, she's pleased to note she's more or less recovered.

Yukari clucks her tongue approvingly,

"_Concerned for you, was he? Come on; dish the dirt, 'Tomi!"_

Hitomi exhales, feeling a headache taking root behind her eyes. As far as Yukari knows, Van's still the perfect Prince Charming, sweeping Hitomi off her feet and Hitomi isn't particularly inclined to set the record straight. Van's more than made up for his behaviour on her first night in the apartment, what with saving her from Mishime, and it's not fair to talk about him behind his back.

"There's no dirt to dish, Yukari. Not about us two, anyway. He's not interested so we're just friends."

Yukari sounds disappointed on the other end, but from the way she changes the subject, Hitomi can tell she still believes it's only a matter of time before it becomes something gossip-worthy.

"He asked me to move with him and his sister to a bigger house, did I mention?"

"_A house? Hitomi! That's sounds permanent... Did you say yes?"_

For another hour, Hitomi fills her in; explaining the house as best as she can, mentioning every little detail until the landline phone in the apartment starts ringing on the coffee table.

She hangs up after their goodbyes and shoots a glance at the phone warily; it'll be someone for Van or Merle, any of her friends or family back home would have rung her cell phone, and she has no business picking up to a stranger…

It keeps on ringing, another minute passes and Hitomi snatches the handset up, pressing it to her ear.

"Uh…hello?"

"_Hitomi, I was about to try your cell phone." _Van's voice, sending a dreamy tingle up Hitomi's back, comes through and she can hear a smile in his words.

"Hey-" She tries to keep her tone level, despite her fluttering heart, "Where are you?"

"_Still at work. I'm scheduling a day off to settle everything in the new house."_

"Are you going to be back soon? We haven't seen you for a while…"

Van's deep, appreciative chuckle makes her squirm in her seat, a blush staining her cheeks.

"_Yeah, I'll be seeing you today. I called for that reason, actually. If you're all packed and ready to go, we can get a move on. Is Merle there?"_

"She's out with friends, in town."

"_If you wait for her to get back, in about half an hour there'll be a moving van outside the apartment. Once they've packed everything away, if you could give Merle a lift and follow the van? It'll take you straight to the house,"_

"Okay. Will you be there?"

"_Yeah, I'll be there waiting. I'll see you then, Hitomi."_

The personal way he says her name has her squirming again and she hangs up, replacing the phone on the cradle.

She didn't think it'd be so difficult to pretend their friendship is purely platonic; it's impossible to deny there's chemistry between her and Van, and it's ridiculous of her to try.

She stands, heading for her room where her packed bags wait on the stripped bed.

A relationship with Van, certain to go wrong, would risk her friendship with him and Merle, making things awkward and she wouldn't be able to stand the tension.

She'd have to move back to her home town, get a small flat somewhere with strangers, go back to a dead-end job-

She pushes the thought from her mind, too horrified by the idea to humour it for a second longer, and marches with her bags down to her beat-up car, stuffing them in the boot and backseat.

Merle has only just arrived home when she sees Hitomi returning to the flat, several big, burly men in tow.

"Hitomi! Having company?"

Hitomi just smiles wearily.

"These are the moving guys; Van's hired them to get all the furniture to the house."

Brief, awkward introductions are made and Merle lets them into the flat, disappearing into her room to retrieve her packed suitcase.

When she returns, she stands beside Hitomi for a moment; the pair of them just watching the room being emptied with passive expressions on their faces.

It's weird, seeing the flat being shelled out like this.

Even in her week of living here, the room exuded Van's personality; his larger-than-life presence, effortless masculinity and charm. It's strange to see it gutted like this, a bland contrast to the epitome of bachelor style that existed hours earlier.

Soon, the moving van is packed and ready to go, stuffed to bursting with everything from the leather couch and plasma television, to kitchen utensils and the beds.

The engine of Hitomi's old car turns over and she pulls out after the van, Merle in the passenger seat, their bags squeezed into the backseat and the boot.

At this time of the day, the city roads are full of traffic; workers travelling to and from lunch breaks, people driving around to shop and visit friends and Hitomi has had to resist the urge to beep her horn more than once.

Merle's been chattering non-stop in the seat beside her, wild hand gestures adding to anecdotes of her week and a headache is forming in Hitomi's head, her eyes hurting.

Eventually, after an hour's drive, they pull away from the traffic onto smaller, emptier roads; single lanes lead away from the city, up hills until there're fewer shops, less people and more residential houses.

Farther up the huge hill, above and away from the city of Gaea, the residential streets are beautiful and pristine; each huge house is surrounded by a large garden and expensive cars fill the considerable forecourts, visible through picket fences. The sidewalks are in top condition, even the air seems cleaner and Hitomi feels a cold sweat overcome her.

They must only be passing through, the house can't be _here._ This neighbourhood is so…so…

She struggles for the word and settles on 'exclusive', she wouldn't fit in here. The female neighbours must all have beehive hairstyles and elegant dresses, the males all smoke thick cigars and wear business suits.

Merle watches her in her peripheral vision when she starts mumbling _sotto voce,_

"Something wrong, Hitomi?"

"Oh," She smiles sheepishly, "Nothing wrong. I was just wondering if the house is in this neighbourhood."

She's swamped with relief when Merle shakes her head,

"It's not in this part of Gaea. We'll be passing this town soon."

And soon enough they do, driving out of the pristine little neighbourhood and continuing on down a secluded road for a couple of minutes.

The road is lined with thick trees on either side, surrounding them in greenery and shadow before the trees suddenly fall behind and their view expands into blue sky. They've reached the top of the hill now; from their vantage point, out of Merle's window they can see the city of Gaea below them, stretching for miles in every direction, sprawling its urban landscape to the horizon.

The van in front of them comes to a stop and Hitomi, leaning out of her window, furrows her brow in confusion to see the driver reaching towards an intercom, pressing the button and speaking into the microphone awkwardly.

"Where does the gate lead, Merle?"

"The house." She's filing her nails on that strange necklace she has, and Hitomi turns back to watch the gate swing open.

"Why have they put another neighbourhood behind gates?"

"They haven't, those gates lead directly onto the Fanel Estate gardens. At the end of the gardens is the house. From this gate on, we're on Fanel land."

The excitement in her tone betrays her casual posture and her fingertips are white where she's gripping the necklace so hard.

Hitomi knows her mouth is hanging open but she can't manage to hide her surprise.

"You didn't tell me that before. So it's pretty big then?"

"Van said it was called Fanel Estate. The 'estate' is a clue to the size of it, Hitomi." She says it mock-scathingly but Hitomi's nerves are on edge.

When Van had offered to let her live with them in their old home, she'd been expecting the sort of house that's common place in her home town. Detached, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, maybe a white-picket fence outside, a border of flowers growing in the little garden out front…

As she drives her car through the big, black iron-wrought gates, she very much doubts she'll find any white picket fences in this garden.

The sheer size of the garden is immense, she can't see the border on either side and a single road divides it into two halves of freshly cut, green grass, beds of hundreds of beautiful flowers adding multi-colour variety.

The garden is the epitome of wealth; far off to one side, borders of trimmed hedges lead to ivy archways and the beyond that, the beginning of a large patio can be seen.

Here and there, tasteful dragon ornaments are just visible beneath foliage and in flower beds.

Whoever had this place designed had impeccable taste and obviously the money to fund their style; the road continues on and both Hitomi and Merle nearly strain themselves peering out of the windscreen as the house comes into view.

The road splits into a circle of light-coloured gravel, surrounding a large, beautiful fountain, sporting an impressively sized stone dragon, stains showing water would have sprayed from its upturned mouth like a flame.

Finally, the gravel ends at a set of steps leading up to a huge front door and the moving van pulls in front of it, parking and the delivery men clamber out.

Hitomi, speechless, pulls in behind and Merle's already out of the door; her sandals crunching on the stones as she laughs deliriously and spins on the ball of her foot, her arms in the air.

"Van!" She screeches and Hitomi's alert again, her gaze being dragged to where Merle is skipping to.

And there he is, standing in the doorway of the huge mansion; black, fitted jeans show off his long legs and a red t-shirt stretches across the muscles of his chest, hugging his lean stomach and biceps provocatively, the sun is gleaming off his black hair and highlighting the easy smile on his lips as he holds out his arms to catch Merle as she launches herself at him.

Laughing, he twirls her round before replacing her on her feet and kisses the top of her head. He turns his face back to the delivery van but his eyes travel just a bit further, catching Hitomi's gaze as she watches him from the driving seat.

The look he sends her, of pure pleasure at seeing her again, has her blushing bright red and she fumbles with the door handle, managing to leave the car without incident.

Approaching him is nerve-wracking and Hitomi can feel her stomach fluttering as she nears him, her boots noisy on the gravel.

Merle skips past her to the lorry, the moving men already unloading the furniture, and fills her arms with labelled boxes before staggering into the house.

Van bares a canine at Hitomi in a grin of pure delight, his eyes never leaving her face as she ascends the stairs to stand next to him.

"What do you think of the place?"

"It's a joke, right?"

Van laughs, unsure of the question.

"It's not a joke. Why would you-"

"Look at it! You have a _mansion, _Van, and you neglected to tell me?"

She nudges him in the ribs and has to look away when, after a moment of maintained eye contact, his gaze falls to her lips.

It's not helping her convince herself that they're just friends when he looks at her like that; as if, even after only a few days of not seeing each other, he's sex-starved and about to jump her at any second-

_Shut up, Hitomi! Get that image out of your head __right now._

"What're you thinking?"

Hitomi jerks her head back to Van, flushing.

"Nothing! Haha. Nothing, just…you know." She turns away again, cursing herself stupidly but Van laughs again, his high spirits apparently invincible.

"Okay, well I should get this stuff organised in the house." He indicates the moving truck with a jerk of a thumb and offers her an apologetic smile, his dark eyes shining. "But once it's sorted, I'll be happy to give you a personal tour. I won't be long."

Hitomi can't help the little smile twitching the corners of her lips and she thanks him before following Merle's path into the house.

**--**

**The** interior is as beautiful as the exterior and Hitomi tries to take it all in at once; the first room is a long, wide hall; with mahogany floors and a neutral beige paint on the walls, it's sophisticated yet homely with a large, stately staircase as the focus-point.

There's a big, wooden door on each side if the room, presumably the kitchen and front room but Hitomi takes the stairs, ascending to the next floor.

The first floor is all empty rooms, each door revealing nothing as to what the room was previously used for and she keeps walking, following the pattern of the carpet until she finds another staircase.

_This place is like a hotel…_

She takes the steps two at a time and is presented with a floor plan very similar to the last, except for the colour of the carpet and walls.

At the far end of this corridor is yet another staircase but Hitomi steers clear, not wanting to get lost.

One side of the corridor must be the outside of the house, as it is all huge windows and Hitomi approaches, placing a hand on the glass pane.

The view from here, looking down on the garden is amazing. Not only can she see the entire garden and –her heart performs a funny little flip- Van talking with one of the moving men, signing paper on a clipboard and pointing occasionally into the house, but she can see where the garden ends and the city far below begins.

Van was right, the view is one-in-a-million and she breathes on the glass, using a fingertip to write her name in the condensation.

Another glance down to the moving truck and Van is gone. She frowns, wiping away the condensation and tries to find him, her eyes roving the garden quickly.

Nope, there's only the truck and the men, arguing between themselves.

Disappointed, Hitomi casts another look out the window, the colour and texture of the gardens contrasting pleasantly with the man-made structures and colours of the city below them.

The 'house' is like a castle overlooking its kingdom, partially hidden by nature in its vantage point so high up.

A soft smile eases onto her lips but drops again when a hot breath brushes over her ear.

"Found you."

Hitomi nearly jumps out of her skin but the warmth of Van overcomes her and she stills, feeling his presence behind her.

"I wasn't hiding."

Van grins, leaning a palm against the pane of glass, completely confident in its stability, his arm brushing against Hitomi's side. It's strange, having her here in the house; like his delectable present is mixing with his past and he leans toward her, breathing her in.

"Shame. I had fun looking,"

And he had; after a few days of not seeing Hitomi, he'd been hungry for her company. His time at work had been occupied with thoughts of her, and every night, when he returned home, he'd been disappointed to find her asleep.

So when he'd spotted her in the window, he'd given the moving guys directions and left them to it, and casually hurried upstairs, hoping to catch her.

Hitomi leans back, almost imperceptibly, her shoulder just touching Van's chest, and her heart skips a beat. It's moments like _this _that make her attempts of being 'just friends' with Van futile. Friends aren't like this around each other, friends don't have this chemistry.

"You can try again."

And before he can put his other hand on the window, to trap her within his arms, she's gone; her excited laugh ringing out in the hall, following her as she runs, disappearing around a corner.

A noise, like a growl, escapes his throat.

So she wants to play that game, huh? A predatory gleam sparkles in his eye, 17 years living in this house and he knows _every _shortcut and hiding place in the whole building.

Like a predator stalking its prey, the thrill of the chase sends a shot of adrenaline straight through his chest- no woman he'd been with before had literally made him chase her- and he stuffs his hands in the pockets of his jeans, making a show of casually walking after her, following the distancing sound of laughter.

This will be _fun_.

Hitomi, trying to stifle her laughs, takes the staircase two steps at a time, finding herself on yet another floor.

A few moments ago, she'd heard footsteps close by, about to turn the corner onto the corridor she had been in, and she'd emitted a girlish scream of delicious terror and run further.

Now, three levels above the ground floor of the estate, she tries to slow her breathing, certain she has a few minutes to spare. Yet another corridor; this time stretching out in front of her and to her left in an 'L' shape. About halfway down the hall, another staircase is visible just behind a corner but Hitomi leaves that to explore later; it's ridiculous how many floors this house has.

Doors line the walls, a heavy-looking set of double doors ends the hall at the far side and Hitomi walks quickly, wanting to find a place to wait for Van instead of running anymore.

The double doors are inviting and she twists the handle, flinching at its loud creak before slipping inside and shutting the door behind her.

This must be the master bedroom; the empty frame of a bed without its mattress is on the floor against one wall, taking up little space in the room. A fireplace takes up a position in the wall of the outside of the house, an old dresser is placed in the corner, a huge rug covering most of the wooden floor.

Everything looks well-maintained; there's no layer of dust covering every surface, the furniture looks cleaned and preserved.

Is this where Van's parents stayed? Did they use that very bed frame, that dresser, sit in front of the fire on that rug?

A shiver runs through her and she rubs her arms, creeped out.

Suddenly wanting to leave, she steps to the door backwards, feeling for the handle before opening it and escaping into the hall.

With her back to the corridor, she closes the door silently, hearing the latch click.

She turns to leave, maybe explore a few more rooms on this floor but when she does so, her view is blocked by a red shirt and inches of bronzed skin above it.

Before she can look up into Van's eyes, he's stepping towards her, forcing her backwards; his hand on the crook of her waist until her back is against the bedroom door.

She yelps, surprised, and Van's deep chuckle makes her flush red. His chest presses against hers, keeping her against the wood of the door, and his knee wedges between her thighs.

Leaning down, his black hair falls across his face, shielding his eyes from view but she can see his lips, the pleased smirk quirking his mouth appealingly.

"Found you again." He drawls and Hitomi's knees feel weak.

She laughs breezily, falteringly.

"You win." She's breathless with adrenaline and shock.

He watches her like a hawk when for some reason, she reaches up a hand, brushing aside the hair covering his eyes and she manages to look at him clearly.

Friends don't do this.

Van opens his mouth to speak but seemingly thinks better of it and frowns, the corners of his lips pulling down severely.

"_Damn _it."

And he steps away, leaving her feeling vulnerable with the abrupt retreat of his body.

"Sorry._" _

He looks angry at himself and she's about to speak when he forces a smile onto his face,

"I promised you a tour." His moods are changing too fast for Hitomi and she stumbles after him when he walks away, already mid-sentence.

"So since we're on the third floor already, might as well start here. These are the bedrooms, there's a good dozen or so on this corridor and the one that way-" He indicates the hallway attached to this one, "So it's just a matter of remembering which one you're in and it shouldn't be a problem."

"Uh huh…which one will I be in?"

Van thinks for a moment,

"Take your pick, really."

"Which one will be yours?"

"Want to be close by, huh?" His grin widens but he jerks his thumb behind him, "Third one on the left. You can be opposite, if you like. So if you ever need anything…"

Hitomi smiles, appreciatively.

"Thank you, Van."

"It's not a problem,"

"No, I mean for everything. For helping me out with Mishime, for being so understanding and giving me a safe place to stay. It's more than you ever needed to do."

Van ruffles the back of his hair, secretly loving the gratitude shining in Hitomi's eyes.

"Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

Moving floor by floor, he shows her the ballroom on the second floor with its built in bar, the first floor with the study, conference rooms and library-

A crash reverberates from the ground floor and Van stops, a fingertip frozen over the spine of a book.

Sighing wearily, he places his palm on the small of Hitomi's back.

"I'd better go see what's happened. Think you'll be okay on your own?"

Hitomi waves him away, watching him leave the grand library with a little sadness in her eyes.

Her mind is still running over what went on upstairs, when she'd come out of the master bedroom; the way he'd looked at her, like she was deliberately tempting him, how he'd changed in a second- from desiring, to pained, to care-free.

She sighs, trying to clear her mind and exits the library, shutting the door behind her. This whole situation is getting messy and confusing, and she promptly pushes the subject to the back of her mind, wandering through the corridor.

The door's here are all the same oak-wood colour except for one, being faded and pale blue.

It's a pretty, inviting colour and Hitomi turns the handle, peeking inside.

A smile quirks her lips as she steps inside soundlessly: the room is the same blue as the door. The entirety of one wall is covered with a mural, a visual narrative of kings, dragons and robots. The effort that went into it must have been incredible but it's faded now, what were once vibrant colours are now softened and the little details are hard to distinguish.

This must have been the playroom; the wooden floor has a scuffed drawing of a dragon, the alphabet running along the scales of its back.

Something shifts by the window and Hitomi starts, her heart jolting.

Merle's eyes look back at her, unsmiling blue brightening with recognition.

"Oh! I thought you were someone else,"

Hitomi smiles a little, wondering about Merle's previous expression,

"Sorry, just exploring. Everything okay?"

Merle nods emphatically, swinging her legs. She's perched on the windowsill, converted into a seat, worn red cushions gathering dust.

"I was just thinking about this place."

"Playroom, right?"

Another nod, and a tiny smile.

"Y'know, when Van and I were little kids, Folken would read to us in here. He'd sit right here," She indicates the seat she's occupying, "and we'd be beside him. Dad and Folken painted the mural from Van's favourite story."

Hitomi watches in silence when Merle jumps up, dusting off her dress. She pads across the wooden floor and kneels down to open a little cupboard, just low enough for a small child to reach. On the front is the printed word, 'BOOKS' but the cupboard's empty now.

Merle's mouth pulls into a pout and she closes the door again,

"Didn't think it would be there. I was going to show you the story the mural came from,"

"What's the story about?"

"I can hardly remember now. A king makes a giant robot to fight his wars for him, but the robot makes friends with the king's son and doesn't want to leave. Or something."

Hitomi smiles,

"Sweet."

The Fanel daughter laughs, agreeing.

"Folken dubbed the robot Escaflowne, after Dad's company. It became something of a hero to Van in his childhood."

She straightens, her eyes roving the room. It's strange to finally be back here, after two years of missing it and she tucks her dyed-pink fringe behind her ear, chewing her bottom lip.

What'll Van do with this room? He has no use for it, not as a playroom anyway- she almost laughs at the idea of Van having kids in years to come- and she's finds herself dreading it being redecorated.

She doesn't notice Hitomi approach her, and she jumps when the older girl's hand is on her shoulder.

"Merle? You okay?"

"Where's Van?"

Hitomi withdraws her hand, moving past Merle to take her seat on the windowsill.

"Downstairs. Someone dropped something I guess, and he went to check it out."

The mention of his name has brought a little thrill of adrenaline to her chest and she hides her face by inspecting the picture on the floor.

Merle doesn't seem to notice her reaction and continues to move around the room, tracing a fingertip along tiny holes in the wall, presumably where the three children's drawings had been pinned.

"Who's Folken?" Hitomi's voice seems loud in the room and Merle turns sharply to look at her, "You mentioned him earlier,"

The atmosphere in the room becomes tense, Merle's eyes searching her own and Hitomi nearly tells her to forget she asked when the younger girl opens her mouth to speak.

"He's our older brother."

The weighty tone she uses, for such a simple sentence, has Hitomi at a loss for a reply.

"Oh…what's he like?"

"I don't know. Back when we were kids, he was great. The sort of older brother everyone wishes they had, y'know? He paid us so much attention, wasn't above playing with two little kids, taught us all sorts of stuff."

Had Van ever mentioned an older brother? It should have come up, at some point, between two people living together.

"Is he still around? Like…_alive?_"

Merle laughs, but its humourless and she distracts herself, twirling a little to make the skirt of her dress flare out.

"Like I'd know or care, neither I nor Van has had any contact with him in…" She shrugs, "nine or ten years. A long time, anyway."

"Can I ask why?"

Merle flourishes a hand, suggesting it's no big deal.

"Oh, the usual. He was-" she screws up her lips in thought, "17, I think. He started making friends with total wastes of space; junkies, addicts. That sort of thing," She's frowning now, as if the memory pains her. "He was hardly around anymore, he'd stay out really late and come back wasted. Then, when our parents raised the subject with him, _out of concern, _he accused them of interfering with his life and not wanting him to be his own person."

She snorts, looking disgusted,

"Total bullshit, mind you. But there it was, and one day he just stopped liking us."

Hitomi may have bitched her fair share about her little brother, but at least they're still family.

"I'm so sorry, Merle. It must have been so hard for you both, at that age."

The younger girl shifts her weight on her feet, breathing deeply to clear her head.

"Whatever, y'know? It's in the past. We're both over it,"

The expression on her face clearly suggests she's not and Hitomi has to resist the urge to comfort her further.

Merle's face is sullen, her mouth pulled down in a frown and her eyebrows furrowed severely but she attempts a little smile.

"Van didn't finish the tour? Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

**--**

**When** evening falls, the main rooms have been filled with their corresponding furniture and packed boxes; the leather couch and plasma television sit, hastily placed, in the large front room, Van's many boxes of possessions are scattered around his bedroom, while Hitomi's and Merle's bags are stacked neatly on their beds.

The hallway is still full of cardboard boxes and furniture, half-open and abandoned for another day.

The front of the estate is lit pleasantly by half a dozen lamps but the rest of the gardens are in darkness when Hitomi steps out of the front door, a cold breeze raising goose-bumps up her legs, bare in the skirt she's wearing.

Merle's already waiting in the car and Hitomi hurries over, her heels crunching on the gravel as she opens the door and slips into the passenger seat of Van's mustang.

They're going out tonight, to celebrate the successful move into the new house; Merle recommended a favoured bar in the city and so for the past hour, the two women have made themselves up and tried on numerous outfits until they're looking their best.

The outside lights flick off, plunging the car into darkness and Merle emits a little yelp, right behind Hitomi's ear.

"_Sorry. I forgot it does that." _She's whispering, since everything is now so silent, "_Van must have turned them off from inside._"

The front door re-opens, and the silhouette of a tall man is framed against the light from the hall.

Hitomi smiles, recognising the silhouette as Van. He steps out, shutting the door behind him, and the light from the moon and stars, unpolluted by the lights of the city, casts him in a silvery glow.

Her heart skips a beat and her breath gets caught somewhere in her throat. He looks _fantastic. _Black jeans, black boots and a royal blue shirt, cuffs rolled up to his elbows, the first few buttons undone to show a healthy amount of neck and chest all come together to make him look perfect and when he flashes a set of pearly white teeth in a smile aimed at her, it sends a shot of want directly through her, coiling below her stomach.

When he reaches the car and settles into the driving seat, Van takes a second to check he has everything he needs. His presence in the car is overwhelming, the familiar scent of his aftershave tinting the air and Hitomi can feel her cheeks heating up.

Pulling her skirt lower, trying to get it to reach her knees, she squirms in the seat until Van looks at her, his brown eyes unreadable in the darkness.

"Okay?"

She nods, crossing her arms under her breasts but can't tear her eyes away from him when he turns back to the wheel, watching his tanned hands coaxing the car to life, noticing the way the muscles in his thighs move beneath the denim of his jeans-

Merle's talking to her and it's only when she blinks to clear her head of the thoughts she'd just been having, that she realises.

Maybe tonight isn't such a good idea…

The club is already steadily filling when Van and Hitomi take a seat in a booth on the second floor, more of a platform above the bar to watch the dance floor below.

It's quieter up here, away from the music and as Hitomi casts a look around in the shadowy darkness, she can just about make out the figures of various couples taking advantage of the privacy.

She can still feel the music pounding in her chest and her eyes take a moment to adjust to the low lighting before she notices the dance floor, visible below them; strangers dancing with strangers, long-legged blondes and snake-hipped brunettes serious and concentrating on their movements.

It's easier to focus on the bustle of the scene, the bright colours and pumping music than to let her attention slip back to Van; to his thigh touching hers, the heat emanating across the inch between them.

But his attention is elsewhere for the moment, she follows his line of sight and feels her spirits wilt when she realises his eyes are on the anonymous dancers down below, the leggy, tanned women dancing like professionals.

She's no comparison, really. She's pale and fresh-faced, whereas these women are mature and sophisticated, with the confidence to go after any man they want and Hitomi sighs audibly, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

It's hard to see the other people occupying the second level of the club, the booths are positioned so they're in darkness but it takes a few moments for Hitomi's eyes to adjust and pick out silhouettes.

A pair of eyes finds hers in the darkness and she nearly looks away in embarrassment but one vanishes, in what she presumes is a wink. She can make out the shape of a man sitting in the shadows, partially leaning back, a second shadow moving over him.

A row of white teeth appear in a slow grin and a dark tongue moves over them, licking lips.

_This guy thinks I'm a voyeur! _

She shudders, trying to extricate herself from the seedy situation but the man keeps his eyes on her.

A hot breath blows over her ear and Van's voice whispers,

"Dance with me."

He doesn't like her attention being taken up by any other guy, no matter how much she's an unwilling party and they're downright perverted.

He wants her to focus on him, to get caught up in _his _actions and petulantly, he moves closer to her, claiming the space around her.

He feels her expel her breath unsteadily, and he moves his eyes to the guy watching them, his expression making it crystal clear that this woman is _not _available to be propositioned.

When the eye contact is broken by the stranger, Van smirks smugly and returns his attention to Hitomi.

She turns her face slightly towards him, her eyes unreadable but her posture changes in a second. She sits up straight, away from him, and smiles sweetly at whoever is approaching.

"I got us all a drink, I had to guess what you like, Hitomi."

Cursing Merle's intervention, Van accepts the bottle of beer with a glance in Hitomi's direction, noting the shot of absinthe with a raised eyebrow.

"Merle, are you sure that's a good idea? It's a little strong…"

Hitomi colours, a pink blush tainting her cheeks. She can handle alcohol, thank you very much! He's probably already comparing her to the mature women on the dance floor, and presuming she's a novice when it comes to drinking.

She puts the rim of the shot glass to her lips, and tips her head back, swallowing the absinthe in one fiery gulp.

Merle's grin couldn't be any wider and she does the same, downing the alcohol in her own glass and slamming it on the table.

"See, Van? We're all grown-ups here,"

Van keeps his eyes on Hitomi, sceptical.

"If you're sure…"

Hitomi can feel the absinthe warming a path to her stomach, her head already feeling a little light.

"I'm fine, honestly. How about another round, Merle?"

Van's younger sister is already out of her seat, crowing with delight and she wanders away for a second round.

When Van leans over, Hitomi finds her eyes resting solely on his lips.

"Stick with me tonight, I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."

She nods, mute and not really comprehending. The absinthe is like a drug to her inexperienced body; it's absorbed into her blood stream and she can almost physically feel herself relaxing, her defences begin to crumble and a slow smile finds itself on her lips.

"Whatever you say."

It takes another 2 shots of absinthe for herself and Merle before the conversation is flowing loosely.

They're on the topic of Hitomi's hometown, a tiny place neither Fanel siblings have heard of and it makes Hitomi feel new to the city all over again.

"I was just about to start college, worked part-time in the local diner; pretty average, boring life to be honest." She smiles a little at her admission, and looks up to see Van's eyes on her.

He smiles secretly, a grin meant for no-one else and it causes Hitomi to flush and stare into the bottom of her glass.

"What about you both? Are you in college or something?"

Van shakes his head, still grinning.

"Not quite, I work for a company in the city. It takes up most of my time,"

Merle snorts,

"He doesn't _work_ for the company. He _owns _it. Van's president of Escaflowne Corporation; didn't you know that?"

Hitomi blinks slowly, shaking her head. _Van _owns a huge company like Escaflowne Corp.? She doesn't know much about it, coming from a little town miles away, but in the short time she's been in Gaea, it's obvious it has a lot of influence in the city.

But Van's the same age as her, and he's already so many times more successful that she feels like a child in his eyes.

He's looking down at his bottle of beer, almost shame-facedly. He's never been proud to be able to say he owns Escaflowne Corp. (except, of course, when a girl needs a little extra persuasion to join him in bed).

He'd have preferred to go to school, have a normal childhood with the normal pressures of exams and studying and girls.

The trials of _his _teenage years were far more challenging; constant training on how to govern and what decisions were vital to the future of the company.

Rules, regulations, training and business meetings filled his younger days and frankly, he could have done without it.

Blinking out of his thoughts, he realises Merle has been speaking for some time. Her voice is slightly slurred and her hands accompany her words with huge gestures- probably some anecdote from her past.

He looks up when Merle finishes her story and Hitomi starts laughing, giggling uncontrollably into her glass.

They're both clearly bordering on intoxicated and he can't have helped but notice the looks Hitomi keeps sending him.

When Merle staggers away to get another round, a comfortable silence descends over the table and Hitomi leans back in her chair, a content smile on her lips.

"This is nice."

"What's nice?"

"This-" She indicates the space between them. "Us, spending time together like this. I like it."

Van grins at her relaxed posture and takes another sip of his drink before leaning towards her.

"You look gorgeous tonight, by the way."

Hitomi smiles to match his and her green eyes focus on him confidently.

"So do you."

"You think so?"

"I honestly think so." She thinks so, so much that when Van starts speaking again, she can't even focus on what he's saying and her attention focuses on his lips moving, the hint of stubble lining his jaw, the bright gleam in his eyes.

She doubts she's seen anyone as handsome as Van; when someone exudes raw sexuality like he does, it's easy to see why he'd do well in a city like this. He must have girls queuing around the block for just one kiss.

For a second, Hitomi's mind helpfully flashes back to the kiss they'd shared soon after they'd met; beneath the surprise and disappointment, she had been bubbling with a desire for him to never stop kissing her.

It had easily been the best kiss of her life, even if the only one's she can compare to are that of a cheat.

Even so, her mind reasons, he clearly knew what he was doing and probably would have carried on like she'd wanted him to if she hadn't pushed him away.

_Stupid Hitomi! Why __**did **__you do that?_

In her drunken state, regret flashes across her thoughts at her former actions. Who knows where they'd be right now if she hadn't stopped him.

He obviously must be good in bed, guys aren't usually so easily confident if they are lacking in any important area-

She could have found out by now, she could have found out _a hundred times _just how good he is, but no. She had to be a prude and push him away, didn't she.

Fed up with being lectured and insulted by her intoxicated brain, Hitomi deigns to just correct the situation. All she has to do is tell Van she's changed her mind, she'd very much like to sleep with him now because she's inexplicably attracted to him and can they please go back to the house?

Squirming in her seat, she blinks out of her reverie and looks up again to see Van watching her curiously.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…yeah," Really, what harm would it do if she just slept with him? She's 19, for god sake. Everyone else is doing it…not with Van of course, but with other people. Who's even a virgin at 19, anyway? Her thoughts are blurring and her head feels very light and the offer of sleeping together forms in her mouth.

"Van, I've changed my-"

But before she can get the words out, a stranger is approaching the table to interrupt her. She doesn't recognise him, but his face splits into a big smile when he reaches them. _Go away _is all she can think but Van greets the stranger, offering him a seat.

"Oh, no thanks man. I'm not here long, meeting a hot date here before we're heading back-" His eyes move past Van to Hitomi and his grin falters, before spreading even further.

"Hell_o_! And who're you?"

Hitomi mumbles a 'hi' and stares down into her drink, leaving Van to introduce her.

What the hell was she just about to do? Her thoughts are scattered but she manages to drag them back into order.

She was about to offer…to sleep with Van? Revulsion at herself lurches through her and she leans back in her seat, eyes wide.

Why would she do that? Because she's drunk? Because he's attractive?

A couple shots of alcohol shouldn't be able to turn her into a _whore _and Hitomi feels disgusted with herself.

And now she wants to go home; she has to get back to the Fanel Estate and hide in her room into the drink has worn off, and hope Van doesn't notice anything's wrong come morning.

What the hell was she thinking, about to suggest a one-night stand like that…

When she looks up, Van and his friend are still talking and she spots Merle coming back with yet another round of drinks. Her stomach turns at the sight, and when Merle plonks down beside her, Hitomi refuses the drink and leans towards Merle to whisper into her ear.

"I want to go home!"

Merle flinches when Hitomi shouts into her ear, but she looks up, concerned.

"Is everything okay?"

Hitomi nods emphatically, motioning that she's tired and has had enough.

"Alright, let me tell Van and I'll come back with you."

When she shouts into Van's ear that they're leaving, he stands to come with them but Merle stops him.

"Stay and have another drink, you don't have to leave because of us. You deserve a night out. Just…be careful, okay?"

Van looks past her to Hitomi, who's busy trying to stay upright but Merle clears her throat and raises an eyebrow.

"She wants a little alone time, I think."

Accepting the situation with a frown, he steps towards Hitomi and smiles, as concerned as Merle.

"You sure you're okay?"

Hitomi, not making eye contact, nods again and attempts a little smile.

"Yep, just need coffee and sleep."

"Alright," He's about to plant a kiss on the corner of her mouth when she steps back, laughing nervously but slyly.

"I'll see you at home, Van. Have a good night,"

And damn if the look in her eyes isn't a little seductive, there's a tug of want in Van's abdomen but he smiles weakly and watches them leave, cursing the reaction Hitomi constantly has on him.

--

**Outside**, Merle is already flagging down a cab; not caring that the people queuing behind her have been waiting for a taxi longer than they have. Carefully ushering Hitomi inside, laughing along with her random giggling, she manages to give the driver the directions back to the estate and they're off, leaning against each other while the world spins.

By this point, Van is at the bar, ordering another drink; this time a little stronger. It would have been ridiculous to stay on the second floor by himself, so now he's claiming space at the counter and giving _looks _to anyone who's pressing themselves a little too close.

His head is beginning to feel very light, the bartenders look like they're swaying and Van's inhibitions are lowering. Which is why, when the guy next to him starts bragging about his latest conquest, Van thinks it's wise to settle the score.

"Oh _man, _she was so frickin' hot, y'know?" The guy's obviously as drunk as Van, and his speech is slurring. "5'10, blond, legs t'_die _for. An' dude was she _dirty. _We did _everything-"_

The guy nudges Van, making him spill some of his drink over his hand.

"An' guess wha' she does as a job, man."

Van slams his glass onto the counter top, the alcohol in his sytem boosting his bravado,

"Shut th'fuck up, serio'sly. The broad's a whore, alright?"

The expression on the man's face is priceless enough that Van wishes he'd remember this in the morning. Experience tells him he won't.

"What're y'trying to say…"

"I'm sayin' we all know wha' she does for a job. She's a nurse, right?"

"How th'fuck did you know that."

"'Cause trust me, I'm guessin' most of the guys here have seen her PVC 'nurse' uniform."

Crows of laughter rise behind him, other single guys at the bar getting rowdy at the display and affirming Van's guess.

The man in front of him reddens, looking pissed.

"You're jus' fuckin' jealous. She's smokin' hot, man."

"Face it. Y'scored with some whore, thinkin' y'were a big shot."

The alcohol obviously coursing through the other guy's veins makes his top lip curl back, showing a row of teeth, and his eyes narrow. Van doesn't care about how pissed off this guy is and goes back to his drink, nursing the glass.

Which means he's completely oblivious to the fist that is thrown in his direction, catching him on the jaw.

It doesn't hurt, certainly doesn't move him from his seat but his lip splits and a drop of blood lands on the bar top. Strangely, every other man near the bar finds something else incredibly interesting to pay attention to, and Van and the stranger are in a world of their own.

Pushing his stall back, Van stands, swaying ever so slightly and runs the back of his hand over his lip, it comes away with a small red smear and his pride rears at such an affront.

The man in front of him raises his chin definitely, just begging for a retort and Van is not one to turn the other cheek.

The bartender's have barely a chance to stop the incident before Van is on the man, throwing punches and taking a few in return and they all take a moment to appreciate the sheer testosterone in the air, before a pair of bouncers are upon them and they get pulled apart.

--

**Hitomi's** stomach turns, a wave of nausea rising up from her gut. She really doesn't want another glass of water, it's making her retch but Merle had insisted before leaving her to her own devices in the kitchen.

Now she's standing here, leaning over the sink in the dark and cursing the gods of absinthe.

A loud knock at the door startles her and she drops the glass, her heart stopping for a second before it comes to a stop in the sink, unbroken.

Flicking on the light, her pupils contracting painfully quickly, she exits the kitchen, wrapping her dressing gown tighter around herself.

It can't be a burglar, since she's pretty sure they don't knock before they attack, and the house is too secluded to be bothered by nuisance callers…

Opening the door a fraction, shivering at the cold breeze that rushes in, Hitomi's eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness outside before she recognises Van's grin.

Stepping back, she opens the door silently to let him in and he stumbles forward, tripping over a cardboard box still waiting to be unpacked, before grabbing the door to steady himself,

"Good _morning. _Dark out, ain't it."

"Van?"

"In the flesh, babe."

When he steps in under the light, stumbling his way through to the kitchen, Hitomi just closes the door and follows.

Sitting at the large, marble kitchen table, Van rests his chin on a fist wincing when he leans on fresh bruises and Hitomi can clearly see the black eye, the split lip, the nose bleed and the bleeding cut on his eyebrow and her stomach lurches again.

Crossing past him to the sink, she wets a cloth and returns to him, her voice soft.

"What happened, Van?"

He wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand again, this time more blood comes away and he shrugs, not really caring.

"I dunno." He rubs at an eye, before opening it and seeing red.

"Oh! Got in a fight. Kicked his _ass, _then came home to you." He has a ridiculous grin on his face, before it drops again and he frowns when Hitomi dabs at his eyebrow with the wet cloth.

"Did you drive home on your own?"

"Yeeeah. Nearly crash'd like…_twice. _An' I couldn't see prop'ly."

Hitomi speaks to him like he's a child, but he keeps getting distracted and looking away.

"Why couldn't you see properly?"

" Got blood in m'eye. _Hurts. _"

She doesn't have a response to that, choosing instead to just tend to his wound and clean up the blood on his face in silence.

He's swaying slightly and Hitomi steadies him with a hand on his shoulder, placing the wet and bloodied cloth on his bruised knuckle.

"You look such a state, Van."

He takes the wet cloth from her and wipes it against his eye, trying to clear away the blood.

"Thanks."

He brushes his hair back off his face, huffing out a breath, and a comfortable quiet descends upon the kitchen. "I think I love you."

Hitomi's heart slams into her chest and she goes cold, feeling faint.

_What…wait…what? Did Van just…_

He's just sitting there, swaying, distracted in his own world and she lets out a shuddering breath.

He's drunk, that's the only reason he said it. Drunken affection, that's all it is.

But jesus, hearing those words coming from his lips have done things to her that make her feel ridiculously high.

With shaking hands, she manages to fetch him a glass of water and returns to the table, holding it to him passively.

"Here, drink this.

He accepts it gratefully and downs the glass, a single drop dripping from his chin.

When he places the glass on the table, Hitomi clears her throat.

"So why were you fighting?"

"Dunno. Can't 'member. He fucked some whore an' was tellin' everyone 'bout it. Whatever, wha' a _jackass."_

He doesn't make a move to leave the table, and when he's been quiet for a few minutes, Hitomi puts a hand on his shoulder, jolting him awake.

"Well you can't sit here all night, I need to get you into bed."

In less than a second, Van is all animation. His fingers are pulling at his jacket and he's standing in front of her before she can get another word out.

"Now that's wha' m'talkin' bout, baby."

Taking a step towards her with a pleased grin, he drops his jacket on the floor and his fingers move to the buckle of his belt, clumsy and desperate.

"Van, no…wait, what're you…"

It's a struggle to direct him upstairs while he's tripping over boxes and trying to shed his clothes but Hitomi manages it, staying just beyond his reach and calling his name like she's luring a dog away.

He's too far gone to notice Hitomi isn't taking her clothes off when she urges him to lie down on his king-size bed, and when his head hits the pillow, the sheer comfort of the pillows and his own exhaustion overrides everything else.

Hitomi's a little breathless by now, trying to get a drunk man to do anything is quite the task but Van obviously had other ideas.

Except now he's where she wanted him, and she can step back and relax a little.

Tugging the comforter up over Van's stomach, she can't help but notice how handsome he looks, even with the bruised cheekbone and bloodied lip.

Relief spreads through her warmly when Van breathes evenly, apparently asleep and she turns to leave-

"Love you, Tomi."

She freezes, her heart back to beating double time.

"Go to sleep, Van."

"You don't believe me." She can hear him move in the bed but she doesn't dare turn around.

"You're drunk."

"Doesn't make me a liar." He sounds petulant, offended even but mostly tired.

"Van, just get some sleep okay?"

He mumbles and Hitomi finally turns around, watching him settle into the pillow and pull the covers up over his shoulders.

"Want to get under th'covers with me fr'a bit?"

"Night, Van." Even she can hear the cold tone of her own voice, but she can't help it. That cements the whole thing, when he'd said he loved her it was just a preamble to get her into bed. Van Fanel doesn't tell girls he loves them, right?

Hitomi screws up her lips, ignoring the disappointment and she walks through the room, going to leave.

"Baby, you're breakin' m'heart." And seconds later, Van's asleep; completely oblivious.

Back in her own room, which seems so much bigger now that it's night, Hitomi is sitting in the middle of the big bed, her knees drawn up to her chest.

Why did Van have to have such an effect on her with three silly little words?

Sleep's going to elude her tonight, and she sighs over the lump in her throat. Living with Van is a mistake, she'll never be free of her problem if he keeps reeling her back in.

--

**Merle** crunches down on a strip of bacon, poking at the rest sizzling in the pan when Hitomi sits down at the kitchen table, the morning sun streaming through the windows.

A cup of coffee is held protectively in one hand, while the other flicks through the morning paper, a peaceful silence hanging over the scene.

It seems like it's going to be a nice day; the weather is gorgeous, Hitomi has a good few days before she even has to consider moving back home and her hang over isn't so bad so her spirits are light.

The atmosphere is broken when there's a crash from the hall, and the large door to the kitchen is thrown open.

Van wanders through, wearing just a pair of black jeans. His hair is a mess and his eye is still bruised, but the sight causes Hitomi's stomach to flip with excitement which just makes her hangover that little bit worse.

She turns back to her coffee and buries her attention in the newspaper.

Van collapses into the seat next to her, accepting the cup of coffee Merle offers with a grunt and proceeds to down it.

Merle's eyes, however, are firmly glued to Hitomi and her eyebrows are furrowed.

"You alright, Hitomi?"

"Yeah! Yeah… I'm good. Everything's…good."  
Her gaze flicks to Van, who's busy stealing bacon from the pan, and he looks up to find her glaring at him.

"Did I say something?"

Hitomi's blush couldn't be any brighter, and Merle's eyes narrow. The older girl definitely knows something but obviously isn't going to spill with Van in the room.

Waving at Van's hand with the spatula, ushering him away, Merle flips the pan a couple times before leaving it to sizzle and turns her attentions to Van, who's reloading the coffee machine.

"I think I'm gonna spend the day at home," His voice cracks a little, dehydrated and he feels clammy; no doubt he'll be spending the day regretting last night.

Merle makes a noise in her throat, disagreeing and he looks around, dazed.

"I don't think so, Van. It's not fair; you've taken way too much time off already and you've got an inbox full to bursting. Go in for the morning just so Allen doesn't have to deal with all your work again."

--

**The** state Van is in right now, is no state to be wandering around the city in. He's being bumped into left, right and center and it's making his hangover no less manageable.

His feet aren't taking him anywhere in particular; he had set out this morning with no intention of going into work, he'd left the house just to humour Merle but since then, he's spent a good hour or two visiting coffee shops and feeling sorry for himself.

Eventually, tiring of struggling through the crowds, Van digs his cell phone from his pocket and dials a number he knows off-by-heart.

The phone barely rings before it's answered; Allen's deep voice covering the end.

"Van! Where've you been?"

"Around. Listen, I can't make it into work again; I'm busy with the old house and all."

"Again? Really, Van. I have my own work to do for this company, you know. I can't keep trying to keep your schedule afloat while juggling everything else.'"

"Just do it, I've done most of the work in advance, all you have to do is rearrange a few appointments. Besides, your boss says you have to."

"Oh don't even _try _pulling the boss card on me, I get the feeling you're just using me to slack off work."

Van's lips curl into a grin against the phone, he's certain Allen doesn't mind as much as he makes out but he can't suppress the feeling of guilt at laying responsibility in Allen's lap again.

"You know I appreciate your help, Allen. And, in return, I'll be in your debt. Anything you need, you let me know and I'll sort it, okay?"

Allen is silent for a short while, his breath down the line the only indication that he hasn't hung up.

Eventually, "Thank you. I'll see your ass in work tomorrow, no excuses."

Ending the call, the guilt a little easier to deal with, he drops his phone in a pocket and starts back towards the car, a small smile on his lips.

Maybe Hitomi wouldn't mind spending the day with him, a trip to the beach or a picnic…

It still feels strange going home to a different house, routine nearly directing him to the old apartment, and the drive up the hill, through the trees, reminds him of the years his family had taken the route together.

The gates open automatically and his beloved car rumbles through; the engine purring while Van's mind is on other things.

The beach is easily within driving distance, if they leave in the next hour they'll have the whole day there-

With a start, he notices another car stationary in front of the house. It isn't one he recognises, perhaps indicative that the driver is a stranger and Van's suspicion flares.

Slowly, drawing his car round the fountain, a frown is set on his lips and he pushes his sunglasses back into his hair.

The car stops, he steps out and feels his blood go cold.

Just as he steps out, the other driver does the same. The car door opens, a booted foot crunches on the stones and a man gets out. He straightens and Van's eyes are drawn to his height, a lot taller than himself. His gaze goes a little further, up to blue hair then down to unsmiling eyes.

The man's lips open, and his voice, so shockingly familiar that Van's heart jolts, crosses the distance between them.

"Hello again, Van."

Van slams the car door, his teeth grinding together. His head is clouded with anger, and when he speaks his voice is the harshest it's been in a long while.

"Folken."

The End. 

First off…reviews please! I need to know what you think of this, comments, critique, anything you liked/hated, anything that just didn't work &c. is all hugely appreciated.

That said, I wasn't sure about having them move into a huge mansion (it sounded a bit mary sue) but I figured the Royal Fanel family had a palace and a whole kingdom, so I wanted an AU alternative.

Again, I'm so sorry for leaving this so long. Things came up, I had job interviews, pet deaths, college open days &c. c. to deal with and it all piled up. I'll start straight away on the next chapter, so it'll be up in a few weeks.

Thank you for sticking with me on this. 3


End file.
